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JUJO.c.n.^ .^-^
II the Way
zoith the Boys
of the 5Q9ih
Field Artillery
lo kke FOLKS
BACK HOME
ana ali ckeij've meant
to us — in Inls oup
■pare in the cjceat
conflict . , ,
f iCe tieeLicate
4
329th
FOREWORD
QQa^sters, the load was heavy;
Ye \A/hom we served were hard;
Your young men come
With laughter home.
But all are bruised and scarred.
Masters, we met the summons
And you shall say how well ;
But now, meanwhile.
It's ours to smile
At what we do not tell.
Masters, we gave our chances
To build our lives full true;
And so we bled
To build instead
A decent world for you.
Masters, we laid foundations
Your unborn wits shall test;
But we are done
With blood and gun —
Permit us now to jest.
— Cpl. G. C. CHANNING,
BATTERY E.
lvil3S809
Back of tHe Boys
Back of the whining shrapnel.
Back of the roaring gtins,
Back of the combat wagons —
Dragging their vital tons —
Back of the ghostly transports.
Feeling their way o'er the Pond —
The Folks at Home and their Thrift Stamps,
Their hopes and their Liberty Bond.
Back of the gun "typewriter,"
Pouring its rain of death,
Back of the plunging flyer —
Making you catch your breath —
Back of the aides of Mercy,
Back of the BLESSES saved —
The Folks at Home that Hooverized,
And gave, and gave, and gave.
Back of the homesick "Buddies",
Back of the Fightin' Man,
The folks Back There who loved him,
And helped him stay a man.
Back of his lonesome hours —
Back of his dreams in the gloam —
The courage they managed to send him.
The letters they wrote him from Home.
SGT. WM. R. MELTON, Battery B.
— 4 —
PREFACE
A book — at least a regular book — is not complete without a preface,
so they tell us. So "Prepare for Action!" here and now. For this must be
a regular book, US, O D, Regular. We say must, because there is scarcely
a man in the entire regiment who did not have a hand in the making of it,
one way or the other — and anything the 329th gets behind as a unit MUST
proceed. (Witness the Boche retreat along about the Toul Sector in the
year of Our Lord 1918, from November 1st on to the "flnee.")
After that amazing Melting Pot which was our National Army — and
later the U. S. Army, by order of Washington — had made soldiers out of
fawyers, tailors, bookkeepers and blacksmiths; painters, writers, mechanics
and icemen; loafers, married men, movie actors and millionaires; and had
welded us into a unit of growing military strength and usefulness, a sentiment
began to grow up amongst us, "What an experience if we could only record
it!" Numerous frantic (and short-lived) diaries were the result. Books
even sprouted. But nothing historical happened in that line (within our
knowledge) until Chaplain Sorensen fathered Corporal Hanna's idea that
we work up a definite record of our experiences in the form of a regimental
history. History isn't the word for the book that this finally came to be,
or at least that we earnestly strove to make. It contains — as best we could
relate under the circumstances — a full record of our associations, travels
and achievements together; our joys and troubles (most of which never hap-
pened), and our friendships, proved in the hours when men show up as men
or not at all.
Thanks to men like our Commanding Officer, Major Lothrop, Captain
Wiley, of Headquarters Company, Captain Brady, our Adjutant, and Chap-
lain Sorensen, the whole proposition got able and official backing from the
start and we were able to carry through.
Parts of the volume were written on trains and in tranpsorts; in lordly
mansions and lowly dugouts. Parts of it were never written at all, but like
Topsy "just growed." We met difficulties, frequent changes of scenery and
wild sea weather, but laid down "The Barrage," as they say in Artillery lingo.
And when you look it over in after years, remember we all did it and
might have done better, no doubt, but that we did our darndest under the
circumstances.
Also, in behalf of the editorial staff, consider this parting volley — when
you find a perfect editor he will have a glass plate over his face and he will
not be standing up.
"ON THE WAY— 329TH BARRAGE!"
Fred E. Mannerow Lawrence Hopper, Wm. R. Melton,
Art Editor. ' L. J. Menzies, E. L. Inlow,
Business Managers. Elmer Hanna,
Editorial Staff.
P. S. in some instances photographs do not sho>v, but such omissions are due
to failure of individuals to co-operate with the staff.
— 6 —
Getting
Ready
WHen tHe RooKie Comes to Camp
Say, but it's some grand occasion when the rookie comes to camp,
'Specially when it is raining or the weather's cold and damp,
And they march in bunch formation, buttoned coats and collars high.
Out of step, but still they're soldiers, or they will be bye and bye.
Now and then a friend will greet them, rushing up along the line.
Grabs his paw while rookie comments, "Gee, old boy, yer lookin' fine.
Camp life sure must be a tonic; when do 1 get O. D. Clothes?"
Soldier boy says, "Come and see me, I live back o' here two rows."
In the morning, bright and early, they line up for the exam.
Some are feeling blue and thinking horrid things of Uncle Sam ;
But the most of them are happy that they're given such a chance.
To enjoy the Army training and a trip across to France.
But their courage almost falters when they note the searching eye
Of the so-called "heartless Surgeon," ■who with helpers standing nigh.
Makes them hop and jump in circles, makes them stand upon their toes,
Listens thru some ear machinery, then explores their throat and nose.
Near by stands a cruel Medic, armed with needle, big and strong.
And with shuddering gaze they size it to be just three inches long.
In he jabs it to the handle, shoots the serum hard and deep.
Finishes the Vaccination, scow^ling as they squirm and creep.
Thru this troublesome proceeding, their calm minds commence to roam.
And they'd give their best attire to be back again at home.
But they're roused from meditation by a voice that's void of sweet,
"Here! Finger prints so they can catch you if you chance to get cold feet."
Then the mustering agent gets them, signs them up for Uncle Sam,
Has them write their names quite often, leads them meekly like a lamb.
Then with thundering voice he asks them, with his pen poised in the air,
"Who ■will get your surplus money if you get shot over there?"
Yet despite inoculations, they imbibe the bugles' call
And decide that Army living is not all bad after all;
Three days later they are Veterans, and they hike and march and drill,
Getting in the best condition, to combat old Kaiser Bill.
When a later bunch of rookies comes in straggling, out of step.
Critic eyes gaze from the windows, long-trained voices bark, "Hep, Hep."
Others rush around the corners, shout as they go marching by,
"Say, yer cap is sure a stunner," "Two bits fer yer yaller tie."
Morning finds the rookies standing 'round the old Vets of a week.
Open mouthed and all attention, drinking in the words they speak,
"S'lute the Cat'n, mind yer Corporal, never kick about yer chow.
Take yer CC pills and quinine, for yer in the Army now."
SGT. M. F. WETZEL, Med. Det.
— e-
'f^.'-^z-
rr^^i^PjSSi^.
Camp Custer
They were speeding along to the first re-
view at Custer — the jitney driver and the press
correspondent. The Ford was making time and
the correspondent was making mental calcu-
lations of his current assignment. "This is im-
portant," the editor had said. "This is epochal
stuff." But the reporter could see nothing in
it but a stiff military occasion — just one of the
tiresome marchings — that were to inevitably
become a part and parcel of our daily life. He
did not expect to be thrilled by the trim rows
of marching khaki (he had seen too many in
the movies) ; he didn't anticipate an inward
throb when the music blared by or the colors
passed. He hadn't an inkling of inspiration for
"epochal stuff."
But suddenly the chauffeur gave him one.
Turning a corner into the camp road, the driver
bore down upon an old man — some old step-
and-f etch-it who evidently didn't realize that
concrete roads are for automobiles — honked
his horn violently, ground his brakes, stopped,
and swore. "Damn these buzzards," he grum-
bled, swinging his car out with a jerk, "they
slow up the generation."
The correspondent smiled as though wel-
coming an idea. "Wait a second," he mused,
"let's pick him up." Then to the still oblivious
pedestrian, "Want a ride, old timer?"
"Thought you were in a hurry," snapped
the jitney man.
"1 am. That's why I bought out this jitney.
But a ride's a ride, y'know — even to old-fash-
ioned feet." They had come along side the
trodding figure. "Ride?" he repeated.
The old man blinked at him incredulously,
looked the car over carefully and chirped in
a high, squeaky voice, "Right smart I do.
Which way be yuh headin'?"
"To camp. Climb in. We're late now." The
old man settled himself carefully. The car
lurched forward. "Can't be yer headin' for this
here review?" he ventured, half in doubt and
half in interrogation.
"Right." The reporter slumped down. Just
another garrulous old man, he thought. A bore
no doubt. No inspiration in him. He wasn't
even wearing the faded blue of '61. The old
peissenger was silent, too, while the car skim-
med over the ribbon road. But he looked out
when they curved around and bumped over
the railroad track. "Hum," he mumbled, "hum.
And that's whar Jed Perkins used to cross on
Sundays."
"How's that?" queried the writer, still half
lost in his thoughts.
"Oh, I'se sayin' — times have changed
around here somewhat."
"Oh, yes — yes indeed."
"This road, frinstance. Funny little strip o'
skatin' rink. Gets there, though — gets there."
And he leaned forward to look out better.
"Well, I'm hornswaggled — the old swamp is
licked!"
The reporter began to arouse himself.
"How's that? Where?"
"Well, sir, when I used to live here I used
to git stuck in that swamp jes as regular as
spring. Now Uncle Sammy's licked her."
Grandpa seemed to enjoy the reflection.
The reporter sat up. "You mean you used
to live in this country when — when it was
cornfields and swamps." His imagination could
trespass no further.
"Right you are, sonny. I lived here when
thar wasn't nothin' — but land — and work."
A reminiscent light came into his eyes. "Why
sonny, I helped — " But he checked himself as
the car straightened out and bored into the long
climb up the grade. The old man gazed silent-
ly at the sight winding up before him — like a
movie film from a train — and gasped.
"Lawzee, sonny, lawzee! It's a city!" The
reporter had never thought of it before in that
light, neither in the hurried days of breaking
ground nor in the irksome days of getting con-
struction under w^ay. But an inspiration began
to come to him at last. He turned' to the old
man again. "And you — you knew this country
in the old days, before Mars struck it with his
lamp of AUadin, eh?"
"Never met Mars personally and never
heard of Alladin. But I was born and raised
around here, sonny. Helped clear the soil * * *
why, just over yonder whar that big cow-
shed * * *'•
"Warehouse," corrected the ■writer.
" — warehouse stands * * * Gosh all hickory,
how my back used ter ache * * *"
They had topped the hill and swung into
the military city proper. Trucks rumbled, jit-
neys scurried, sidecars barked and skidded.
k
soldiers and workmen thronged here and there.
The old man was silent now, overwhelmed
with the magic of war. Modern war — or was
it the tragedy of time?
The reporter attempted to find out. He went
on to explain how the camp was to be built in
a night, as it were, to house an entire army of
Civil War size, and was to cost twelve millions
of dollars. But these comments were lost on the
venerable passenger. He was buried in his own
reflections. Only once did he rouse himself to
remark, "She's gone! Not a stick, nor a stone
in the old back yard."
"What's gone?" The reporter was insistent.
Old Timer shook off his reverie and replied,
"Jest noticin' whar the old place used to be."
"You can TELL? You could locate it in all
this flubdub of barracks and shacks and lum-
ber and construction?"
"Yeh — sure. See that little gully whar the
creek used ter overflow down in Spring? Well,
right this side of it. Thar's some sort of o'
warehouse — "
"Barracks — "
" — barracks thar now. My old dad — " But
reflection was too much for him. The tears
welled. He perked up and changed the subject.
"Kin you take me to this here parade, sonny?
An old geezer like me'd git lost in this-
He
"Dynamite" In
action
waved his arm in a gesture that was both a
compliment to modern industry and a tribute
to bygone scenes.
"Sure thing," gulped the reporter, a new
light in his eyes, "that's just where I'm headed
for. I'm a — I'm, that is I WAS out looking for
an inspiration. You gave it to me."
"Don't understand ye, sonny. Yer talk's
new. But if yer lookin' for inspiration, as ye
call it, what's a matter with this here place —
bigger an' faster than anything they ever built
in fairy tales — ?"
"Nothing, but — " The reporter glanced at
his watch — "We've got to hurry. Step on her,
Jaques! Look out for that truckload!"
So they rolled up to the reviewing grounds,
alighted and prepared to separate. But a
thought came to the writer. He could horn into
a good place — but how about this old timer.
"Come along with me if you like, uncle — if
you're interested particularly. We'll hunt a
good hole."
"I be, bud, 1 be — interested. My grandson's
in that army." And he motioned towards the
troops, fresh clad in their neat O. D., already
beginning to pass. The reporter whistled to
himself. Carefully he guided the old man to an
acceptable vantage point. Watching his charge
from time to time, he could read only disap-
pointment or blank amazement on the weather-
beaten face. "They don't stand out so well
these days," was the old man's sole comment.
Then the band swung by — a new^ band, with
new men and new instruments — on its first re-
view. The writer's hair tingled to the roots
at the music's thrill. Then the colors came
and, from a slouchy, almost weary old man, his
companion ■was galvanized into a statue of
patriotic fervor. His hat came off. The old
hand snapped to the quaint old salute, a new
light shone in the old grey eyes.
"The spirit of '61" breathed the reporter, as
he shamefacedly removed his hat.
And then — after it was all over — while he
rode back in an ultra-modern conveyance into
ultra-modern surroundings again, the thought
came to him: "I wonder if these lads in khaki,
these raw recruits, stepping high and proud in
their first review, will get that spirit under their
skin, 1 wonder — ." Which reflection stayed
with him through the weary weeks of routine
drill, routine expansion, routine camp life.
When, upon witnessing the last review of these
"rookies" no longer raw, and upon talking with
them on the eve of their departure overseas,
he decided, quite without music or inspiration
—"THEY DID."
— 10
/^NE of the most interesting developments
^^^ in the course of our long drawn-out prepar-
ation period at Custer was the growth of w^hat
might be termed regimental morale. We used
to wonder, what with unlimited "fatigue", un-
necessary squads east and west, inexhaustible
coal piles, incessant turn-over of man power,
etc., ad infinitum, how we would ever get the
spirit and co-operative punch essential to a real
fighting unit. We were sure that every other
F. A. regiment had it all over us in every way
— except in work — and we were weary to the
point of distraction of dull routine, idle rumor
and blank waiting. But, when we finally did go,
and saw these same men we had helped to dis-
cipline and drill and the men who had worked
to discipline and drill us under the strain of
travel, under fire and through hell — saw them
"come clean ', as the expression goes — it sud-
denly dawned on us that we did get something
fine and deep back there in Custer, something
enduring.
Authorities call it morale. We don't know
what to call it, but we know some of the stuff
it's made of. A bit of kindness and a bit more
of toleration; a bit of thoughtfulness and a
deal of pride — pride in our cause, our bud-
dies and our outfit; a respect for "properly
constituted authority", as the D. R. calls it; a
knowledge that discipline is essential and means
servility only to those who are by inclination
servile. And, along with all this, something
deeper and finer — respect and compassion for
the weak and the helpless which, after all,
was what we set out to fight for Over There.
Wasn't it?
Detroit "She" — "And when you're away to
the war, I want you to think of me each even-
ing at nine o'clock."
Sgt. Lovely — "Make it 9:15, can't you? I've
got to think of the girl in Kalamazoo at nine."
J T WAS Saturday afternoon at Camp Custer.
Spring had definitely arrived — after a seem-
ingly hopeless tussle with wind, rain, mud and
flood — and with it encouraging sunshine, re-
newed activity — and dust. To the list of ar-
rivals, also, should be added baseball.
But, before we take up that phase of the
spring referred to, we want to dispose of said
dust. The wind tried to, but only aggravated
matters. It blew the gritty clouds along and
whirled them in our faces, into the barracks
and onto the cots. (O memory forsake us
when we try to picture those days of cot airing
in the open — and the dust!) Our "garrison
shoes" (issue defunct) turned up their smiling
morning countenances and choked. The win-
dows we labored long and regularly to clean
presented streaked exteriors to prying eyes.
Even our ice cream cones, bought at the win-
dow of the dehibernated canteen, collected
their share of Custer dust before they disap-
peared down the insatiable gullet of Custer's
stomach. Dust settled everywhere. And when
the \vind wasn't disturbing it, trucks or
MATERIEL or passing pleasure cars were. Even
the concrete road was strangely able to yield
its quota of grime, rolled and eddied under
w^hirling tires. Dust was king.
But baseball went on. Over on the drill
ground back of officers' quarters a
regimental battle was flourishing.
Rooters hugged the base lines and
cussed the umpire — officer or no.
Nearer to the barracks several inter-
battery games were waxing hot and
enthusiastic. Substitutes chased
lost balls through battery
streets and battalion lanes.
Someone made a hit that
The Zast Bevlew at Caster
— II —
went through "A" Battery's corner window.
But what boots a window more or less when
spring is everywhere and baseball is on? And
— war is on?
Signs of the reason for this whole panorama
were nowhere lacking. Dealer wagons, catering
to mess needs, rolled in and dumped their
loads at small back porches. A switch engine
worried up and down the track, leaving cars
of forage, MATERIEL and ammunition. (Thank
heaven, the coal pile was finee!) Over in a bat-
tery corral — where the long-tethered horses
romped and felt their oats — a stable sergeant
and helper or two were snubbing a broncho to
a hitching post. Back of them, under the shed,
an industrious mechanic tinkered with the vet-
eran— and ramshackle — pieces. (Wonder if
we'll ever forget those roaring, rickety old
heavers of three inch shells!) Mule skinners,
driving four and six, wheeled on and off the
concrete on regimental police work or stable
duty. Side-cars chugged by occasionally, and,
now and then, a big bus car stopped to unload
its freight of visitors and "residentials."
A single buck private stood under the awn-
ing of the canteen munching a cone as one of
these too rare vehicles drove up. He watched
idly as the bus stopped and a lone passenger
got out. It was an elderly lady. Just a little
old gray-haired, motherly-looking soul, he not-
ed casually, probably toting the flock of pack-
ages under her arm to some husky six-footer.
Mother to Custer to son in baseball language,
with no assists, probably, on that run.
The motherly soul stood still a moment after
the jitney moved out — a look of tired bewild-
erment on her kindly face. She started ner-
vously as a side-car honked fretfully by and
turning moved toward the sole observer of her
actions. Buck Private finished his cone and
made as though to leave. But he paused when
he saw the white-haired visitor hesitate as
though uncertain of w^hich course to take, re-
moved his hat and inquired: "Looking for
someone, madam?"
"Yes, I am," said the old lady soberly, "and
1 have been for a couple of hours. Oh, this big
citified place with its buildings all alike! It's
— it's got me all nervous." And she smiled a
tired little smile but the sort no mother's son
of us can resist. Buck responded to it and start-
ed to enlarge on her description of Custer. But
she hurried on: "I've been travelling for a
week, it seems. I thought when I got to camp
it would be easy. But the jitney man was busy
and I got off too soon. And I didn't find the
artillery — "
"You're looking for the artillery?"
"Yes. Jimmy said it was the artillery. To
just ride up the road and get off. But — "
"Jimmy, eh?" thought the soldier. "I
wonder how many little, old-fashioned Ameri-
can mothers have got lost finding Jimmy — "
Then — "But here I am, and 1 don't know
The Downfall of an Idol — An unexpected visit
from his family catches Bill on Stalile Police
ltV_^
12 —
how close I am." She looked at her packages.
"Let me take them," grunted the private
gruffly. "This is the artillery and we'll find
Jimmy, all right." He gathered up the bundles.
"What battery was he in?"
"Battery?"
"Yes, his outfit. The company, the unit he
belongs to." Buck's military terms were clumsy.
"Why I don't know. Let me see — " and
the w^rinkled fingers fumbled in a worn purse.
There was an awkward pause. "Well, I do
declare! I've LOST his exact address. But" —
brightly — "1 know his regiment!" And she
named the unit whose territory they were in.
"And do you know the outfit he is in?"
Perplexity made this motherly old soul more
lovable than ever. "No, son, I don't. We
can't find him then? Don't you reckon there's
some way? You see, our name's Perkins."
The private thought rapidly. Sure there was a
way. They'd go to regimental headquarters
and get the sergeant major to look up Jimmy
Perkins. But he did not tell his quaint visitor
all that. He guided her up the board walk
with an assurance that Jimmy was as good as
found. About the place where a guy wire
through the sidewalk lends confidence to a
telephone pole, he met a friend.
"Billy, ever hear of a Jimmy Perkins?"
"Perkins? JiMMY Perkins? Yeh — " He
seemed about to spill something but caught
himself as Buck put in with, "Well, this is his
mother. We're looking for him."
The friend signed Buck aside. In low
tones he hurried to explain that Jimmy Perkins
had only that week been transferred to some-
where outside the state, maybe overseas. And
this tired little lady had come all the way from
Buck didn't know where to bring him loads
of goodies. The pathos of the little tragedy
rather got both of them. And together they
made rather a botch of telling this gray-haired
mother that her Jimmy had been sent away
a la army. The tired eyes widened for an in-
stant and the thin lips quivered, but no
"scene" was forthcoming. "Well, well," she
shrilled, all cheerfulness, "so I missed him after
all. But — but, what on earth will I do with all
this?" She indicated the package-load her
chief benefactor toted. Both soldiers were
stumped, just a fleeting vision of side-tracked
"eats" coming their way passing through their
minds. Developments shamed them. "1 know.
I'll leave them with you — you boys," declared
the visitor triumphantly.
"No," said Buck. "No — we got plenty of
things — canteen n' everything." Then he got
an inspiration. "I tell you. We'll get Jimmy's
address and mail them to him."
"Could we?" And her eyes sparkled.
"Watch us!" said Buck. And together they
found Jimmy's old battery clerk, got the for-
warding address, visited the pleasant "Y" and
had an all-around pleasant time sending Jimmy
his packages — all except one which his mother
decided to keep.
Afterwards it came to Buck that maybe
there never would be another chance for this
disappointed but cheerful little body to see Old
Custer. So he showed her the camp, after the
manner of countless other such showings, took
her to mess at the battery — with the K. P.'s
after the boys were through — and turned an
otherwise idle — and, mayhap, lonesome — af-
ternoon into pleasure for both of them. This
was a wonderful place to the mother of Jimmy.
And when he put her on the bus, about
sundown, and couldn't think of anything ap-
propriate to say — being just an ordinary Yank
like you or me — she turned to him and said:
"Son, why, I don't even know your name I
Oh, yes, it matters to ME. There's something
I want to say to you. You're just a — a com-
mon soldier, aren't you?" There was no em-
barrassment in Buck's acknowledgment of
that fact. "Well, all the better. But I was
going to tell you. I used to worry a little about
letting my Jim come into this army — with men
like — like I didn't know what. But now, son,
I Wcmt to tell YOU. I'm glad he was able to
come. I'm proud he's in it." The car was
starting. "Good-bye, my boy, and — oh,
yes, this is yours." And she left an embar-
rassed buck private standing by the road, hold-
ing that last package and looking after a Camp
Custer jitney with mist in his eyes.
AfTKR RCADlMb THRKff VOLUMES
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SERVIN<^ IH LCAVEMSVVORtH.
13
If
If you can hold your head up while the others
Are drooping theirs from marches and fatigue;
If you can drill in dust that clouds and smothers,
And still be fit to hike another league —
If you can stand the greasy food and dishes,
The long, black nights, the lonesome road, the blues;
If you can laugh at sick call and the pill boys
When all the other lads are checking in —
If you can kid and jolly all the kill-joys.
Who long ago forgot to grin —
If, at parade, you stand fast at attention
When every muscle shrieks aloud in pain;
If you can grin and snicker at the mention
Of some bone play connected with your name —
If you can do these things and really like 'em.
You'll be a reg'lar soldier yet, old top!
PVT. H. MORRISH,
Battery B.
(
— 14 —
Camp Mills— As It Were
"California Avenue! Back way to Camp!"
Far away in sometime Sunny France we heard
it afterwards — the only line to any camp that
ever tickled us much. "Back way to Camp!"
some Buddy'd yell as we hit the dugout.
"Back way to Camp!" as we trudged up the
hill to Havre, or waded the mud to D'Auvours.
It was the line that made Camp Mills stay
famous.
"Rockaway Beach!" A joint debate. "Aw,
come on! We may never hit this neck of the
woods again.
"Halt! Who's there?" Pause. "Soldier.
And say. Jack, whereinell is the artillery?"
Grins from the guard. "Seven rows of tents
back and three over." A compree look with
an as-you-were feeling. Then business of navi-
gating the sea of canvas without stumbling
over more than thirteen ropes and getting
more than a battery of cusses.
"No drill here, boys. No place for it."
This from plenty of the countless buddies who
gave us the double O as we marched in. But
we policed up a place, hugging the fringe of
the aviation field.
Sharp staccato explosions overhead. "Gosh,
they're noisy!" Business of sunburning the
roofs of our mouths until our necks hurt. The
idea being that if we atmosphered enough we
wouldn't break the camouflage book regula-
tions Over There and turn photographable
countenances to enemy airmen.
"Overseas caps, men. We'll knock 'em
dead now!" Grins from Old Sol and Jupiter
Pluvius. Then business of learning to squint
agreeably.
"Keep wrappin'. Jack, you'll reach your
neck, all right. Gad! Your legs look like O.
D. stick candy!"
"Br-r-r-! Hold 'er, Luke! Wow, but
that's frigid ! Who ever heard of piping water
from Iceland for shower baths. Hawr! Ha-wr!
He fell in the sink hole. Here, Jack, I'll throw
you my Lifebuoy!"
Mornings. "Say, you! You don't need to
swallow that faucet. There's others to wash,
y'know."
Day-times. "Damn these drills in the heat!
Damn this tent furling business! Damn these
inspections! Damn the dust! Damn this
double shuffle clothing issue! Damn — I Oh,
sure, I'll take a pass! Delighted!" Aside to
Bunkie, "Got five simoleons. Bill?"
Li'l Ole N'Yawk! Rubberneck busses!
Broadway — lit up, be it dry or wet! Follies!
Coney — and more follies! "Mills ain't so bad
as it might be."
"Wonder if I can get all that junk in one
roll." And, "Let's get one more striped ice
cream cake, eh? Darn near forgot those sand-
wiches, too." The last hurried postcards out
the car window via the Kid and Nickel Route.
The ferry again. The hot wait in the dock
shed. The printed postals with "Arrived safe-
ly overseas" on them. One more good word
for the Red Cross. The gang plank. "Good-
bye, Broadway! Hello, France!"
StCKCBtl. JUST TtU. THE MAM IN
CHAR6E •^'HAT four TROU6LE IS
HE WlLU THEM Pwtl, "THE BUTTOM OPPOSITE
'(OUH «ll.w,„^ MIOTHE PlU-S v/,u. COME OUT.
A TURN OF THE
WHEfcl. wn_i.
OeciOE
IF ANOTHER WAR BREAKS OUT
PRACTICAL METHODS SUGGESTED BY EUPtRlEMCE
or OLD MAN EXPERIENCE AZE
WITH THESE MACHINES THE ARMY COULD
DQ AWAY WITH THE MEDICS
Salvage ^n olo
9W«T»B ANi, m„ ,^ „„^^
Tub clean.
D HELP <Ej„ ^„,
ME.;»«iT f" AST EN foun
Me9,K.TTOT„e HOOK AKOGO
■<OvR BUNK, Twe
DEVICE FOR WA&HING AND DRYING YOUR MESSKIT
SlMPLV LtAO THE HORSE To THE OATS
O** THE CAR AMD STAftT THE.
MACHINE. WITH THE SAUL AND
CHAIN Yo<J c/
Woan AROUND
THE MACMINE.
WITHOUT r^kJ^ y^ ^' Ai ^ij^^-'^'
FEAR
— 15
ClotHes and tHe Soldier
Clothes don't make the man, but they re-
veal a lot about him and the American sol-
diers knew it. Their desire to look like what
they were made a certain job we know about
in the batteries anything but soft, especially
just after the armistice was signed and the fel-
lows thought it was time to dress up again.
Aside from the food the most important
issue in the soldier's life was his clothes. Not
all manner of wearing apparel, but his regula-
tion outfit. Fatigue suits and denim hats were
easy to get, but puttees and gloves, they were
entirely different. When an organization trav-
eled, it traveled all dressed up; that was part
of the ordeal, for every man to look his best.
But that put more clothes on the bum than any
other thing. A few nights in a French box car
is enough for any suit, but it did not always
stand to reason that such trips marked the end
of its service. And that wasn't the supply ser-
geant's fault, either.
When we left Camp Custer we were all
equipped with two complete outfits, but at
Camp Mills w^e turned the extra one in and
drew another the next day. We did the same
thing the next two days, and the next and the
next, until w^e left. And it just so happened,
perhaps, that we left on the day we turned in
an outfit; so when we landed in France we had
but one, and that looked more like we had
been in the recent battles in Flanders than
that we had made a summertime ocean voy-
age. From then on we had but one outfit.
That was supposed to be complete but times
may be recalled when an article or two was
missing. As time advanced the causes for the
disappearance of articles changed. It seemed
Salesman: What size, please?
Returned Soldier: Oli, any size, just so the coat and
pants are the same color.
— 16 —
that the average soldier hiking along a road
under full pack had a different idea of neces-
sary equipment than the fellow who made out
the original clothing allowance. Anyhow, be-
fore the regiment w^as long in France the fel-
lows learned to travel light, and get along with
as little clothing as possible.
The first time a soldier appeared in a mili-
tary formation the clothes he wore represented
an expenditure of approximately $45.00. That
did not include equipment other than was
necessary for presentation as a soldier.
There are many articles which are issued as
reserve, and as changes, dependent upon the
weather. The original clothing allowance con-
sisted of:
1 Waist Belt
1 Woolen Breeches
1 Hat
1 Woolen Coat
2 Drawers
1 Pair Gloves
1 Overcoat
1 Pair Leggins
2 Flannel Shirts
1 Slicker
4 Pairs Stockings
2 Undershirts
The overseas allowance differed only in
style of the garments. The old, original half
leather riding leggins used by the artillery were
replaced by spiral puttees and the campaign
hat was discarded for the overseas cap.
For the man who was accustomed to wear-
ing tailor-made garments an issue of army ap-
parel was a heart-breaking shock. It was a
matter of taking w^hat could be had rather
than getting what was desired
and at times, especially while
in the advanced zones, any-
thing would do. Men ordinar-
ily wearing size 32 breeches,
10 '/2 socks and 7-C shoes,
were glad to grab 38 or 40
breeches, size 1 3 socks and
1 1 I^^-E shoes, being satisfied
to get something to replace his
falling-off uniform.
This was not true, however,
after the fighting w^as over.
The supply sergeants had a
little war all their own when
the time came to go home.
As a general rule, after a
generous issue of new clothing,
everything would go along
nicely for a while, then things
w^ould begin to happen. Ac-
cording to the supply ser-
geant, it was impossible for
only one man to tear up a
pair of trousers in a day.
Lots of days, however, there
would be an epidemic of destructive in-
fluences on clothing throughout the com-
panies. "The Wonderful One Hoss Shay" had
nothing on army clothes. They would stand
to a certain point, and then owner was, by his
own volition, confined to quarters until an issue
came along ; and sometimes for a long time
afterward.
In passing from the topic a word should be
said in behalf of the supply sergeants. Cer-
tainly there was no grumblesome disposition
attendant on these fellows when they came
into the army, or the captains would not have
made them supply sergeants, so the conclusion
reached is that, if they seemed an unusual lot,
the job itself had something to do with it. A
little confidential talk with any of them would
convince anyone that more than anything else
the sergeant would choose to give every man
just what he wanted. But imagine trying to
dress up two hundred men of various sizes
and builds with about half a dozen standard
army sizes and cuts. It can't be done! But
this much anyhow; our regiment never failed
to pass an inspection with flying colors, and it
must have been some satisfaction to the supply
sergeants to know that others thought we
looked good, whether w^e thought we did or
not.
2i:id Battery of the 1st R. O. T. C, Ft. Sheridan, 111.
On June 25th, 1917, Doc. Moore, the bam-
boo sergeant, tucked his corn-cob up his sleeve,
bawled "Fall in," and the 2nd Battery of the
1 0th P. T. R., Fort Sheridan, 111., was "on the
way." On the second morning thereafter the
appearance of Lieut. Curtis Nance, F. A., in
command of the battery, banished any sense
of security or confidence any of the 120 men
may have had and started a seven weeks'
course of nervous high tension. Men were
charged, tried, and convicted in rapid succes-
sion of such high crimes as "dozing in the west
squad room," not "sitting down in the saddle,"
and "looking dumb." From the ranks such
instructors as Lothrop, Moore, Baxter, Gor-
ton, Kelly, Hodge, Fitch, Lance and Taylor
poured learning in specialized concentrations
into the candidates. Volume ill, angles of sight,
breech blocks. Rules of Land Warfare "death
or such other penalty as a court martial may
direct," fistulous withers, morning reports and
the first faint premonition of (P-T) whirled
before our eyes in kaleidoscopic review. Meth-
ods of handling panoramic sketching, terrain-
board sensing and the nomenclature of the
horse were crude and feeble in the light
of the delicate refinements subsequently
developed, but the men were fired with
the eager thirst for mastery of these
subjects. The raucous tones of the
buzzer rose from beneath every shade
tree on the reservation.
Then came the horses and Riley's
Bucks ceased grooming to give the can-
didates a chance at the "strawberry
roan" and others. Equitation, pair drill
•and driving led up to a few memorable
drives wherein the candidates' knowl-
edge of the care, driving and frailties
of the army horse rose from zero to 200
per cent.
Through the clouds of dust, heat and
confusion certain epoch-making figures
stand out in clear vision. Lieutenant
Gorton, U. S. R., as second in com-
mand "dismissing 'em," Baxter in
"shake 'em out," Second Lieutenant
Phillips in "march 'em in, sergeant," Kelly's
confession of poor pronunciation in early youth,
Supply Sergeant Smith's intermittent offers of
physical violence, Lange's wild ride, Connor's
reversible saddle. Gay as a bonfire orator, and
the swift promotion and reduction of Peterson
are beyond forgetting. Then, too, the battery
developed esprit de corps in spite of its short
life. The overnight bivouac in the lumpiest
field in Illinois, the Chicago parade with Rus-
sian ovation, and the final banquet at the Mor-
raine, were our best-known formations off the
reservation.
The final days in the sweltering August sun
were full of anxiety and despondency. The
mental strain on those who had survived the
process of elimination was great. A loud voice
in the squad room or a heavy tread in the hall
wrought consternation to all within hearing.
When the final lists were read and orders to
report at Custer distributed, the battery dis-
solved without ceremony and sixty-five officers
scattered for a two w^eeks' rest.
The enthusiasm and eagerness developed in
A Conple of Fort Sheridan "Snap Shots"
17 —
the 2nd Battery survived and the influence of
the example of Lieut. Curtis Nance, Battery
Commander, remained to aid the graduates
in the work before them.
Battery A's genial skipper — Captain Moore
— doubtless left a longer trial of jokes, original
and aboriginal, pranks, harmless and devilish,
cuss words, novel and otherwise, behind him
than any man that ever taught a rookie how
to equitate. He invariably got away with
them, too.
But one day at Fort Sheridan he pulled one
that nearly broke up the party. He was equi-
tation instructor there and had his charges —
and chargers — out at the edge of the field giv-
ing them hallelujah. "What's a matter there?
Sit down in them saddles ! Are you a lot of
blankety-blank-blank blankeses?" he howled.
And then observed that the woods were full
of a ministers' picnic. "Countermarch!" he
yowled. "Trot! E-Yo! Gallop! YO-O!
This is NO place for a leather vocabulary!"
One of the Captain's pupils at Sheridan was
a short, fat individual who found equitation a
sad proposition indeed. His arms and legs
would flop up and down as he bounced un-
mercifully in the saddle. One day Capt. Moore
noted him careening thus and yelled, "Sit
down in that saddle there! What's the mat-
ter with you? You ain't no angel!"
A One-Man Radio Set
A series of experiments by the radio detail
of the 329th while in Camp Custer, resulted
in the construction of an entirely new and orig-
inal apparatus which might aptly be styled, "a
one-man portable radio set."
The radio sets of the allied armies retained
a number of cumbersome features, chief of
which were the bamboo poles, upon which the
aerial is strung, and the necessary ropes and
stakes which give the areal stability. The one-
man radio set eliminated the poles altogether.
An aerial made of brass strips was placed on
the top of a derby hat and by means of straps
a specially constructed storage battery and a
small sending outfit w^as suspended from the
operator's shoulders and hung at his back.
Another set of straps held a receiving appa-
ratus, together with a sending key, directly in
front of the operator. Laying a ground wire
was a simple matter.
Thus the essentials of a radio station, the
aerial, ground wire, receiving and sending fea-
tures were combined, and the entire outfit
weighed but fourteen pounds.
The arrangement as described was com-
pleted under the direction of Sergeant Char-
bineau and in a practical demonstration before
Capt. Taylor and Lieut. Sargent, proved highly
successful for short range work.
18
Over tHe Pond
Nothing in the entire war was more dra-
matically significant of "America's Answer"
to the autocratic powers of Central Europe
than the spectacle of our convoy as it sailed
down the harbor of New York, out into the
sea. Single file they came, out past the girl
every man left behind, under the warm sun of
that July day. We took our last, long look at
the good old Statue of Liberty,
as we thought, "Who knows -
when we'll see Her again."
To the onlooker this must
have been a strange scene —
this silent procession of trans-
ports with their grotesque color-
ings in camouflage, bent on the
most serious business ever un-
dertaken on the seas by such
ships, moving calmly out into
the troubled waters of the At-
lantic. The men on deck were
quiet except for an occasional
hand-wave to a passing freight-
ferry or any one of the multi-
tude of small fry that infest the
harbor.
It was midafternoon when ^.^..^..^^^^^
the convoy assumed a forma-
tion protected by a British cruiser and an
American destroyer which took the lead, small
sub-chasers describing a circle around the en-
tire convoy and two seaplanes circling over-
head. Taking in the whole scene we felt a
thrill of pride which for the moment lifted us
above the seriousness of the business in w^hich
we were soon to be engaged.
Our initiation as ocean travelers came rudely
and abruptly. Scarcely had the afternoon
wore away, when a storm began to rise and
the ship to roll. That was a sad night for
most of us and one that brought wonderful
and terrible sights with the coming of day; but
we pass it by, seasickness being something it
Those Life Preservers
They were comforts,
They ^ere beds;
They were pillows
for our heads —
And they fit just like a dromedary's
hump.
Down to mess, or
On the deck —
Wind protectors
For your neck —
You could play 'em for an ever-
lastin' trump.
Wear 'em, tear 'em,
Give 'em hell —
Never leave 'em
For a spell
As they looked the g^oods in case of
briny Jump.
isn't even pleasant to laugh about afterwards.
By noon it was fairly calm again, and it wasn't
long before the boys were back in little har-
mony groups again singing as though they
hadn't lately prayed for sudden death.
They sang out into the clear air of the sea
and their harmony penetrated to the very
stokeholes. It could be heard no matter w^here
you went. It was the best ex-
pression these blithe fellows
could give of their determina-
tion to "Carry On." They
sang the lullabies of Old Ken-
tucky, the old time love songs
and the popular soldier songs
of the day — while they w^atched
the sunset out on the deep.
Beautiful thing, that sunset!
A sort of purple hush on the
restless main ; a subtle con-
founding of those countless
mysteries which are the sea.
A stir that might have lasted
an hour, seeking places to hang
hammocks, and we were
dreaming of those we had left
at home. Many slept on deck,
" reveling in the tang of salt air,
and a few stragglers leaned on
the rail and looked out into space for hours.
Sleep did not appeal to them. The water
looked cold and even defiant as each wave
hurled itself against the ship, but the steady
pulsations of the engine below gave an assur-
ance of progress. The warmth of the smoke
stack was quite friendly to the guard as the
wind blew colder. Down below a thousand
hammocks swung in cadence with the roll of
the ship. By the third day we were all prety
well seasoned to ocean travel.
Nearly every one of the eleven days was
calm and the weather continued fine. It grew
monotonous at length, for nothing exciting oc-
curred except the appearance of a whale and
The New Zealand Troopship Manng'anui — They say she was subsequently torpedoed — We'll never miss her
— 19 —
a sunset exhibition by a school of porpoises.
There was quite a flutter when Jonah's friend
appeared. He rose to the top as cautiously as
any sub, but when he blew a spout of water
into the cur we hailed him gleefully as a deep
sea performer we'd always wanted to see.
Swimming in pairs and squads, the porpoises
would put on their spectacular leaps for us,
and it got to be great sport for all to yell
"Ah-h-h-h" in chorus as they'd rise up grace-
fully and plunge.
"I fain would feed the fishes," said the Cap-
tain to the Lute.
"I fain would not," replied the blithe
shavetail.
But after Cap had done hij darndest for the
fry.
He'd like as not find Looey at the rail.
The Sarge would laugh at poor old Buck,
lost in his misery.
And boast, "This heaving up is not my
style."
But Buck'd find him makin' tragic faces at
the sea.
And prayin' death to save him after while.
In fact, the man who laughs the best when
Neptune's runnin' high
Is he who doesn't laugh, out loud, at all.
For, when you brag you're jake no matter
how she rolls.
You're sure as blazes ridin' for a fall.
Once in a while our vessels would signal
each other with their whistles (ours was the
first convoy, incidentally, to use whistle sig-
nals), or salute a returning ship. When we
first heard this we rushed on deck. Surely
there must be a submarine in sight at last. But
no sub came. There was a feeling of disappoint-
ment which is hard to understand. We should,
of course, have been glad that we were still
safe; but perhaps this is just one of the little
psychological observations which show best
the spirit of these men. There is a saying that
the Yanks use a lot and there is nothing that
they say among themselves that better shows
the kind of men they are. It is "Let's Go!"
If the vessel slowed down or got behind for
any reason, either to take another position in
the convoy or to make some strategic move
which would mislead pursuers, we would all
be on edge and want to get off and walk. It
is an expression of the Yankee spirit of "get
there." The same spirit carried these men
across the Pond, across England, through
France and across No Man's Land. Every
creak of a rope, every click of a rail, the
rumble of caissons over the road, everything
that spoke of motion was music to their ears.
One bright morning the mountains along the
Irish coast came into view — our first glimpse
of the Old World. Looking out on our fleet,
we thought of the days we had spent with our
course set — however ziz-zag in its windings —
toward these hills. At last we had them in
view, and subconsciously we gave credit to
those men who mapped that great highway of
civilization, who sailed for days, weeks or
months straight towards a goal beyond all
vision, who in the darkest night could tell just
where they were. To those who have never
been on the ocean before there is a spell in its
rolling waves. There appears in our imagina-
tion the great navies which have disputed the
control of these waters that never rest — the
pirate fleets of such as Captain Drake — and
the little trio that came across to discover our
fair land for freedom's sake — not forgetting
the Vikings with their sturdy oarsmen whose
fame is written in the folk lore of their hardy
country.
But these hills upon the horizon are still a
long way off and the topic of the moment is,
"How long will it take us to reach land?"
All day we sailed and gradually they grew
larger and a long range came into view as we
set out northward to make our way into the
Irish Sea. Another day and we awoke with
a heavy fog around us. The outlines of the
other boats were scarcely discernible for
hours. When the curtain lifted the scene had
changed. The sun did not shine till well in
the afternoon, but we had friends. Scattered
in every direction and tearing up the waters
with a wake that streamed far back on their
circling path came the British destroyers that
w^ere to "tuck us in." We rose to our feet and
cheered a mighty cheer. The appearance of
these racy boats was as inspiring a sight as
we had witnessed so far. Their long, rakish
hulls, low in the water, and their sprightly
maneuvering showed that they had been de-
signed for their one purpose in life — action.
Their snow-plow bow^s cut the water like razors.
Four big stacks gave the impression of power.
As one approached us a signalman whipped
out the word "L-1-V-E-R-P-O-O-L."
Again the fog fell. The night dragged in-
terminably, as we rolled in the mist at half
speed. All night the whistles blew and the
sirens howled to prevent collision. Sleep was
well nigh impossible. The clamor brought to
us for the first time some realization of the
lurking dangers of the sea. Very early we
came to a standstill. TTie water was still. The
rolling motion, which had become almost sec-
ond nature to us by now, ceased. We must
have made the harbor. Morning — and still
the fog, but finally the sun broke through and
we found ourselves riding close up to the float-
ing docks of the largest seaport in the world
— Liverpool.
PVT. LEWIS G. WILLS.
Battery A.
— 20 —
Getting
Busy
THe Advance Party
About the first of July, 1918, the following
officers and men were selected from the 329th
F. A. to become a part of the 85th Division
School Detachment: Major G. V. N. Loth-
rop; Lieuts. R. Loeffler, M. L. Gorton, H. B.
Stover, A. C. Gerber, Sheffield, Wm. R. Car-
rico, H. M. Hicks, H. G. Sparks.
Sergeants — P. D. Merri-
field, C. A. Wilson. H. C.
Miller, McLaughlin, Carney,
Schneller.
Corporals — W. Gritman, H.
H. Roberts, G. T. Carlson, E.
R. Peckham, P. L. Pollefeyt,
F. C. Leitch, Wm. D. McKel-
lar, "Ted" Pontius, and Chad-
wick.
Privates — J. H. McCor-
mick, W. S. Hulme, R. P.
Felber, D. S. McMillan, Gus-
tafFson. Finlay, Fitzpatrick,
Kaushcky, Coffman, Temple,
Philo.
We left Camp Custer on
July 1 0, by train, stopping at
Detroit, Buffalo and other sta-
tions for refreshments served
by the Red Cross, landing in
Hoboken at 2:30 p. m. on
the 1 1 th. Proceeded from
there to Camp Mills where we
were quartered in tents. At
this camp we w^ere furnished
w^ith new clothing, in other
words "dressed up," and un-
derwent a physical examina-
tion each day. Our stay at
Camp Mills was very pleasant
as well as expensive. Our
passes to New York, bathing beaches, and
other places of interest, were plentiful, and
what we did not do and see is hardly worth
mentioning.
On Saturday, July 20, after being equipped
with the necessary clothing for overseas serv-
ice, another "advance party" was picked from
the detachment, and given what proved to be
a very appropriate name, "Baggage Detail,"
whose duty it was to load and unload trunks,
bed-rolls, barrack bags and other equipment.
The story of that baggage detail if put in writ-
ing would make a volume, and the expressions
uttered while handling would not pass the
censor. Search warrants were necessary in the
finding of the men for this kind of detail ; can-
didates were conspicuous by their absence. On
to a train at Camp Mills bound for Brooklyn,
thence transferred to a large scow which took
it, with the detail, down the river where it
was again transferred, this time to the Steamer
Canopic for Europe.
(The word Canopic has a meaning all of its
own, which only officers and men who were
s
hy Dill couldn*t vVrite a
a>d lett<?i- to his <?*irl I
unfortunate enough to be on it can explain.)
On the morning of July 2 1 st, the baggage
detail was met by the rest of the detachment
from Camp Mills and loaded aboard the
Canopic which left its pier at 4 p. m. on the
first lap of the long journey, our destination
a "mystery." While going up the gang plank
each man was handed a card
that had printed on it the
number of his bunk and the
"sitting" he was to eat with.
Each mess hall on the boat
had a seating capacity of
about 250 men at a time. The
men to eat at each mess room
were divided into groups, and
each group was called a "sit-
ting," of which there were
three. What greeted the men
upon entering the mess hall
and after they were seated
had better be left to the imag-
ination, but memories of these
trying days will live forever.
A convoy of fourteen ships
were gotten together, some
carrying soldiers and some
munitions, and were anchored
in the bay for the night. At
9:30 a. m., July 22, a battle
cruiser steamed out to the
ships. Anchors were lifted
and the journey started in
earnest. The sea was very
calm and the sun hot for the
start. The first day at sea a
boat drill was chosen as one
of the daily "pastimes." Each
man w^as assigned to a certain
part of the ship's decks, w^here his organiza-
tion was to meet in case of a submarine attack.
Life belts were worn in the "alert" position,
which was the style at this meeting, and from
then on were our companions every minute of
the day and night. One of the redeeming fea-
tures about these life belts was the surprisingly
good pillows and mattresses they made while
lying on the deck. The first week afforded us
lots of pleasure. Daily boxing matches w^ere
held and the ship's mascot, a monkey, also
afforded us a little amusement after much
teasing.
The days passed rather slowly and the sea
became quite excitable as we rounded w^hat
most everyone thought was the North Pole.
The temperature was low, with no sign of land
or submarines. On the morning of August 2,
1918, our convoy was met by a "flock" of sub-
marine destroyers and the battle cruiser left
us.
On the same day "subs" were sighted by the
destroyers and things were a trifle exciting for
a while. Depth bombs were dropped into the
6"
■23 —
water, which resulted in the destruction of two
U-boats which had evidently planned on a
fine "haul."
This, our twelfth day on the ocean, was the
most joyous day spent on the boat. Late in
the afternoon land was sighted for the first
time. The following morning found every-
body up bright and early for sight-seeing pur-
poses. The boats were anchored in the har-
bor at Liverpool in a position which afforded
us an excellent view of the surrounding coun-
try. We started through the locks about 9
a. m. and docked about noon. While wait-
ing to get ashore we amused ourselves by
throwing American coins to the English chil-
dren who had gathered there to greet us. At
noon we got off the boat, setting foot on land
for the first time in fourteen days, and hiked
through a portion of Liverpool to a Rest Camp
named Knotty Ash, about ten miles from the
heart of the city. This camp and its surround-
ings are very beautiful and our two days' stay
afforded great opportunities for sightseeing.
We left Knotty Ash at noon, Monday, August
5, hiked to Liverpool, where a train awaited
our arrival, and departed at 2 p. m. for Win-
chester, going through Birmingham and Ox-
ford. This trip gave us an opportunity of
viewing the beautiful fields of England, which
certainly live up to their reputation. We ar-
rived in Winchester at 9 p. m. the same day
and marched through the rain for a distance
of ten miles to another Rest Camp, called Morn
Hill.
Our stay at Morn Hill was of five days'
duration. This time we spent in visiting Win-
chester, and its places of interest, as well as
the many villages around the camp. In Win-
chester we visited the Great Hall of Winchester
Castle which was built or enlarged by William
the Conqueror in 1066-1087. On Monday,
November 17th, 1603, the trial of Sir Walter
Raleigh took place there. He was condemned
to death, but the sentence was not carried out
until a later date.
A few days afterwards Lord Cobham, Sir
Griffin, Markham, Watson and Clarke were
here tried and condemned for the same con-
spiracy. The two latter were executed forth-
with; the others were repreived. Many other
noted men of those days were also condemned
here. It is there that the Round Table of King
Arthur hangs, and it is one of the most inter-
esting and ancient pieces of carpentry in the
kingdom. It is composed of strong oak
planks, 1 8 feet in diameter, and could therefore
afford ample seating space for a sovereign and
twenty-four knights. At the back were twelve
martice holes to receive tenons, and there is
also evidence of a central support, proving
that the table originally had legs, and that.
though for more than 500 years it has hung in
its present position, such was not originally the
case. Many other ancient things were to
be seen in this hall.
We also visited the Cathedral and the West
Gate, which contains many relics of the olden
days. Winchester itself being ancient made
our five days' stay pleasant but busy in order
to see everything of interest.
On Saturday, August 1 0, we left Morn Hill
for Southampton, arriving there shortly after
noon, and after a few hours' wait boarded the
steamer Charles, formerly The Harvard, an
American boat, and under the cover of dark-
ness, accompanied by "sub" chasers, sneaked
across the English Channel to La Havre, where
we landed the following noon and proceeded
to Rest Camp No. 2.
On Monday the advance party was broken
up, leaving the detachment from the 1 60th
Artillery Brigade to travel their way alone.
The other branches of the service, from the
85 th Division, taking a different route. We
left La Havre at noon, this time in a little dif-
ferent style, however, in "side door Pullmans"
which in France are about the size of a "50
centime bill," with our old side pal "Corne I.
Willy" always at our command. We made
many stops, some two hours long, during which
we were permitted to get out and stretch our
legs. Our longest stop was at Rennes.
After a few hours' stay at Rennes we de-
parted, arriving at Guer which proved to be
the end of our journey by rail, at 10:30 a. m.,
August 1 4, from whence we hiked through the
sun's hot rays five miles to Camp Coetquidan.
At this camp we were comfortably quartered
and well fed.
Our schooling started Friday, August 1 6.
Some of the men were supposed to have taken
up observing and orientation, but as classes
in these two subjects were not open to en-
listed men, they were sent to either the radio
telegraphy, telephone or materiel classes, and
after the close of our school "term" were as-
signed to their respective duties with the regi-
ment. The schooling lasted about six weeks,
but in the meantime the regiment moved into
the camp from Messac, and when they started
firing on the range the advance party took up
the regular duties for which they had been
trained.
We wish to thank all the officers for the
kindnesses shown during our travels overseas
to our training camp, with special mention to
Major Lothrop, who was ever looking after
our wants and comfort and we dare say that
no body of men ever traveled under any more
pleasant conditions than did the School Detach-
ment from the I 60th Field Artillery Brigade.
— 24 —
Saumur Artillery School
Down in the Valley of the Anjous, where
the lazy Loire lolls by, there's a quaint and
charming little old city called Saumur. From
the car window it looks quite like innumerable
other French towns — old and wan and given
somewhat to frowsiness. But upon closer ex-
amination it proves to be "lousy with history"
— to use the Yank superlative — and interest-
ing to an unusual degree. It is the Athens of
A. E. F. activities.
Here in the days of old the Kings of Anjou
flourished, died and left their mark on history
and the landscape. High on the hill one of
the largest and most impregnable of their
strongholds still stands — the Chateau de Sau-
mur— started in 900 and finished some time in
I 400 — a monument to feudalism and the pa-
tience of centuries. This castle has figured in
romances of the Williamson quick-scenery type
and still takes up considerable space in Bae-
deker's guide, deservedly so. It is a marvel
of masonry.
Built of cut stone on the sheer face of a
clifF, it has all the features of legendary archi-
tecture, clear down to the dungeon with its
torture rack and chute for the disposal of
surplus corpses. There is the huge outer wall
more than 200 feet high in places and wide
enough on top for a wagon to pass. There is
the provision tunnel, which drops 250 feet
straight down from the courtyard and comes
out 1 2 kilometers on the other side of the
river. The immense inner court, the little
village within the walls; the museum of an-
tique treasures; the guest chambers, the tower,
from which you can look down upon one of
the prettiest valleys in Europe.
Over there is the Chateau de Suozay, where
Margaret of Anjou ("the most unhappy of
queens, wives and mothers") died in 1482.
Yonder stands the Grande Dalman, a huge
box mound of granite — in a land where there
is no granite — said to have been erected by
the Druids in the days of Very Old. Most
every spire or ancient windmill had its story
or its legend. And, curiously enough, practi-
cally every noticeable point in the landscape
has its co-ordinates now and can
be used in connection vrith artil-
lery maneuvering or sketching,
which brings us down to the bur-
den of our story.
It was here in this history-laden
country that our A. E. F. officer
candidates went to school. Six-
teen Three Twenty-Niners — all
picked men — went there to learn
artillery (better to get a grasp on
the subject which is the deepest
and most scientific in all modern
warfare) and incidentally to up-
hold the reputation of the regi-
ment. Not one of them fell
down. Orders came along from Washington
squelching commissions after the armistice, but
they didn't keep our boys from bringing home
the equivalent.
The artillery school proper was located in
what used to be the famous Saumur Ecole de
Cavalerie, the French school of equitation, fa-
mous internationally since the latter part of
the eighteenth century. This was taken over
by our Government along in January, 1918,
and devoted to the diligent instruction of artil-
lery. To begin with only a handful of officers
were turned out monthly. By the time our
men reached Saumur over 2,000 men were in
training there and more than 600 being grad-
uated every month.
There were two firing ranges, run at a cost
approximating $30,000 a day; an immense
topographical department, with all the equip-
ment known to modern artillery; fleets of
French camions for
field service transporta-
tion; bicycles for the
same purpose; teams
and MATERIEL for
mounted drill and ma-
neuvers; a miniature
range for firing prac-
tice; aerial photo-
graphic displays; an
enemy MATERIEL ex-
hibit; an electrically op-
erated "Probable Er-
marvel, etc., etc.
System and efficiency
marked the place.
Everything was run on
a result-getting basis.
Schedules for a week
ahead showed exactly
what was to
be done and
where classes,
etc., would take
25
place ; and the schedules went through rain or
shine. Candidates were grouped by divisions
and instructed by sections — about twenty men
to a section.
Men from all over the A. E. F. (and that,
of course, means from all over the States)
were studying there and "monkey-business"
was not in the curriculum. Many of the braini-
est men in the U. S. Artillery were instructing
and lecturing there and it was our pleasure
to know and receive instruction from some
of the brighest and best known men France
had in the war. For example. Captain Drey-
fus, the man who invented "the study of prob-
abilities" in artillery, practically, and who was
the first to figure out the correct "dope" on
the big gun Germany used on Paris.
Equitation, instead of being a nuisance, was
a glorious pastime there. We couldn't get half
enough of it. In place of the conventional
army "rabbit," we rode upon blooded racing
steeds and famous French chargers, many of
them trained to hurdle higher than its healthy
to ride. Huge riding halls, covered with a
foot and a half of powdered tanbark, were the
scene of these activities. We ate in comfort-
able mess halls with sure 'nuff dishes. Our
barracks were kept clean by regulation FEMMES
DU CHAMBRE.
We had our setting-up exercises under the
snappiest British sergeant that ever bit off an
order. He had been a physical instructor be-
fore the war and he could galvanize a wooden
Indian into action.
We worked and studied ; served the pieces
and fired problems on the range. We did
Italian resections, located gun positions by trav-
ersing, etc., etc. We got on friendly terms
with goniometers, alidades, plane tables, firing
tables, ballistics, probable errors, Phi, Omega
and DVO. We picked beaucoup gun posi-
tions, solved many field problems and worked
w^ith full regimental liaison equipment and
aeroplane co-operation. In brief, we had a
liberal education in three months and they
didn't need to make us like it — even when the
bottom dropped out of things on the 1 1 th.
The S. A. S. was a regular Alma Mater.
Following is a list of the 329th men who
graduated from the Saumur Artillery School:
Sgt. -Majors B. A. Balkwell and E. L. Con-
very, of Reg. Headquarters (Convery, by the
way, took the "Flu" at school and was unable
to complete his course) ; R. S. S. T. G. King
and Sgt. L. A. Singer, of Supply Company;
Sgt. Wm. R. Melton, of Battery B; Sgts. E. J.
Schneller, Chas. C. Lockwood, and J. F. Schu-
maker, of Battery C; Sgts. F. G. Miles, Colin
MacLachlan, L. M. Kells, and 1st Sgt. L. H.
Atkinson, of Battery D; Sgt. Carl L. Hesse
and Cpl. G. C. Channing, of Battery E; and
Sgt. F. G. Ruhl, of Battery F. Sgt. C. M.
Eddy, of Battery B, was transferred to this
regiment from the Ammunition Train after he
completed his course.
THe One-Way Road
No one had told us, but we knew. We
were "going in" at last. Funny how color-
less this long- expected move was proving
to be. No fuss, no flurry. No dread, no
regret. Not even a care
for tomorro^v. Just the
steady scrunch-scrunch
of hob-nails on the hard
road, the lurch and rat-
tle of materiel — and far
away Up There the dull
rumble of big guns.
— Fields — gray, empty
and barren, or torn and
ugly and labyrinthed
with a frenzy of barbed
wire.
Houses — squat, worn, hopeless little shacks,
marking the outskirts of Toul. And then
Hospitals — groups and acres and moun-
tains of them, housing, no doubt, their full
quota of the miseries of war.
Crosses plain, homely, slat-affairs, rows
upon rows of them, marking the graves of
buddies "Gone West."
Cripples — more than there ought to be
huddled about, gazing at our outfit as though
to say, "Lucky dogs — rotten chances."
A funeral procession ■ — laying another
Yank away "with military honors." Or did
they have time for them ? Why wouldn't a
martial tune from the band serve just as
well? He can't hear that.
A turn in the road. A post with a sign on
it — "ONE WAY ROAD." We blink at it.
The thought flashes through our minds, "I
wonder if it will be for any of us — ." Then
we remember, as though recalling a memory,
that one-^vay roads are often a traffic neces-
sity up near the front. Then tension snaps.
We laugh.
"And the Caissons go rolling along !"
— 26
EstablisHirig the Posts of Command
Under cover of a light mist, the advance
detail of the first battalion specialists made
their way up to the front on the morning of
the first day of the last month of the war.
The command post was to be established in
the remains of a summer house of a German
officer, that dignitary having gone east for the
winter. The cottage, for such it was, still
A View of the Old Barracks at
Coetquidan
showed signs of recent occupation, though the
furnishings were strewn about and demolished
in an ugly fashion. Owing to the protection
the terrain afforded the position for our guns,
the little gardens and graveled promenades
about the place were just as they were before
the St. Mihiel drive, which rousted their
builders out.
The first day there was a busy one. A gas
guard, armed with a Claxon, was posted. The
telephone detail opened up a station and lines
to the battery positions. The radio section got
into action and soon were listening to messages
from aeroplanes, both our ow^n and the ene-
my's. The observers established lookout
posts. By noon a typical command post was
ready to direct the battle.
The clouds broke and the sun came out,
taking the chill out of the air. The elements
seemed to welcome us. Their demonstration
continued until about 4:30 p. m. when the
enemy took a hand, augmenting our welcome.
To be sure he was tardy with his recognition,
for we had been ready to receive him for at
least four hours. This fact seemed to be real-
ized by him though and an honest effort to
make up lost time followed.
Darkness had fallen and the clouds which
had parted only a few hours before came to-
gether again. Light rain began to fall, an ideal
condition under which to present the kind of
calling card he sent. The first we knew of it
was by the Claxon in the hands of the gas
guard. Gas masks were adjusted. We gath-
ered into small groups in the dugouts and lis-
tened to the shells whistle overhead and burst
a little way down the valley. This introduc-
tion lasted only about half an hour, then we
were given some twenty minutes in which to
get a breath of fresh air. Advantage was
taken of this, and it was well that it was, for
there was more to follow. Off and on, until
twelve o'clock midnight, we were forced into
our gas masks. Sleep was impossible. No-
body really wanted to sleep, anyhow, but it
was disgusting to be reminded so often that
we had better not, even if we did want to.
However, we had no casualties from sleepless-
ness or gas either and the sun rose the next
morning on a detachment ready for a big day
in spite of their fatigue.
We remained in this forward position six
days. Lots of things happened, but all in all
we were very fortunate. We lost no men and
very little equipment but for three days after
the post was established we were unable to
get our ration allowance. Something big was
coming off soon, we were told. Frequent men-
tion of Metz and a big drive were on the lips
of all, but just what was intended will never
be known unless someone "Higher Up" dis-
closes the intended course of action. We
knew that the engineers were working hard to
have the roads in good condition by the 1 0th,
and that reinforcements for the doughboys
were coming up in a steady stream. News also
reached us that a lot of English flyers with
their planes were on their way to the Metz
sector. New batteries moved into position and
great loads of ammunition were brought up.
The outlook was promising of big doings.
In order to be closer to the batteries it was
decided to move the Battalion Headquarters
into the ruined village of Thiaucourt. It was
this village that marked the scene of some of
the bloodiest fighting of the war.
The process of "closing station" was started
before daylight and in three hours the scene
of action was changed. A repetition of the
first day's difficulties took place but with
scarcely less speed than before the command
post was put into working order. As is gen-
erally the case a calm preceded the storm that
would have been. The remaining five days
of activity at the front were marked with a
more or less steady shelling on our part, and
an occasional shell from the enemy. Only
once did we have what could be called a nar-
row escape. That was on the last night of
the war at about five o'clock. The gas alarm
sounded and
we were
forced into
our masks
for half an
hour. It was
believed by
many that
this attack
was d e 1 i V - ...
ered from j^ Oerman "PIU Box"
■27 —
aeroplanes — a practice not usually employed.
Following the attack by gas came in quick
succession a number of G. I. cans. It was this
form of attack that really threw the scare into
us. Buildings began to shatter and we prompt-
ly took to our dugouts. Dugouts referred to
in this case were nothing more than a few old
cellars converted into gas-proof compartments
or ABRI. In reality they offered no appreci-
able protection from shell, in fact they might
have been worse than nothing at all if the
house built over them had been struck. The
weight of the building alone would have caved
the cellar in.
Again luck was with us and we lost no men.
The next morning the order came to cease
firing at eleven o'clock. It might be imagined
that a let-up in activity would follow, but such
was not the case. Guns roared until ten fifty-
nine.
At Regimental Headquarters
Along in the early part of 1918, a first lieu-
tenant, Paul M. Bowen, found the single silver
bar on his shoulder changing to two and at the
same time the immediate scene of his activities
shifting from the temporary command of B
Battery in Captain Frazier's
absence to the newly created
personnel section of the regi-
ment. No one knew what the
duties of this office were to be,
but in time it developed that
the thousand or more daily re-
ports sent to various parts of
the A. E. F. originated here,
and although this part of the
w^ork in the regiment contained
less of interest and less of ex-
citement than any other line.
Captain Bowen and his cap-
able assistants made this branch
the object of more than one
complimentary remark from
those higher in authority.
The establishment and main-
tenance of the regimental head-
quarters while in garrison, on Capt. Paul
the march, or in the field was
the duty of the regimental non-commissioned
officers' staff. We made our camps under ad-
verse circumstances. We frequently accepted
as a matter of necessity the discarded build-
ings for our billets and it may be remembered
that at times we made our beds on the ground
for want of a better place.
Taking up a position was always attended
by excitement and fatigue, but the one section
of our regiment which was always first was the
regimental headquarters, and in spite of diffi-
culties they always had an office, whether in
tent, cellar or attic, that handled the adminis-
trative end of the work, just as well as though
they were in their old office back in Custer.
Speed in getting into working order was the
long suit of our regimental non-commissioned
officers' staff. When it came to "Opening Sta-
tion" we hand it to them — they were there.
Their work pertained always to the adminis-
tration. Snap and accuracy is the keynote of
success in operation and it was not less vital
to their end than to any other in the army.
We have but to look back to our arrival in St.
Calais for a bit of news that proves they recog-
— 28-
nized that fact.
We were transferred again to another divi-
sion, back to the 85 th. Why transferred
again? Because we were ready to go home
so far as that most important and most difficult
task was concerned, the com-
pletion of paper work; and the
division to which we had been
attached for return was not up
in their paper work. Who was
responsible for our being up in
that work? The honors are to
be divided but the regimental
non-coms' staff comes in for
its big half. It was on the job
or we would not have sailed
when we did.
Back in the old days at Cus-
ter before we took up foreign
travel the staff was composed
of but four men. Sgt.-Major
Balkwell, Sgt.-Major Convery,
Personnel Sergeant Burkhardt
and Color Sergeant Crook.
Shortly after we reached
M. Bowen France the two Sergeant-Majors
forsook the regiment for the
Saumur Officers' Training School. Their places
were filled by Sgt.-Major Stafford, Sgt.-Major
Gritman and Sgt.-Major Rich. Sergeant Burk-
hardt was made Personnel Sgt.-Major. At
Coetquidan the staff was enlarged. Color Ser-
geant Charbneau and Personnel Sergeant Pip-
pen being added.
When the regiment began actual training
on the range at this camp the work of the
Reefimental H. Q., at tbe Front
Sgt. -Majors doubled. We were training for
actual combat and in action the Sgt.-Majors
head the Operations Detail. Their training
here was scheduled with actual field work and
from then on until the armistice was signed
their time was divided between their details
and the office at headquarters.
Whether the influence of the Headquarters
Office or just natural tendency is responsible
for the conduct of these men is hard to tell.
We grant that no opportunity came to know
them on the outside, because their time was
wholly consumed by their duties, but the few
times we did come into contact with them we
formed an opinion.
Unlike many busy offices theirs was never
too busy to grant information. A great deal
of experience in the army was not necessary
to learn that one of the most embarrassing and
disgusting experiences in the life of a fellow
is to walk into an office and salute, then stand
there for an hour or so and no one pay any
attention to him. What you think about a
fellow who is so inconsiderate would never do
to tell, but such a thing never happened in the
office of the Three Hundred and Twenty-Ninth
Field Artillery. We were in the army and at
war and that is enough said, but while things
disconcerting threw other parts of the organ-
ization off balance at times, there was never a
time when the Regimental Non-commissioned
Officers' Staff did not have the administrative
end of the deal well in hand.
1st Battalion's Operation Record
of the orders and
movements of the First
(Note: The original record
instructions governing th-
Battalion at the front was lost in action tov^ard the
end, but this transcript in strictly military language
gives the next thing to it.)
First Lieut. T. T. Trevis,
French Officer with the
Regiment
War Diary of the First
Battalion
1 st Battalion arrived from Lag-
ney November 1 . Bivouacked in
woods, Bois de Mort Mare. Left
Lagney at 4:30 p. m., arriving at
10:13. Weather was cloudy;
roads and health good — camp
poor. Rations for five days —
forage for five days; 25 officers
and 6 1 8 men. On November
2 left Bois de Mort Mare at 6
p. m. for position north of Thiau-
court, arriving 1 2 :08. Batteries
A, C. and H. Q. remained in
woods awaiting orders. Weather
cloudy. November 3, H. Q. Det.
left Bois de Mort Mare for post of command
east of Thiaucourt at 5 p. m., arriving 1 0 p. m.
Rain. Batteries A, B and C did not change
positions. Novem-
ber 4, Batteries A
and C left Bois de
Mort Mare for
Bouillionville at 5
p. m., arriving at 9.
H. Q. Det. and
Battery D did not
change positions.
Battery echelon lo-
cated and occupied
i n Bouillionville.
Weather good.
Camp good. No-
vember 5, weather
good. No change
in positions. No-
vember 6, Batteries
A and C left Bouil-
lionville for Thiau-
— 29 —
court at 5 p. m., arriving at 1 a. m. Weather
good. Camp poor. November 7, weather
fair. Camp poor. Roads muddy. Novem-
ber 8, Battery B moved from north of Thiau-
court to northwest of same. Left
1:30, arrived at 7:30 p. m.
Weather rainy. Roads muddy.
Camp poor. November 9, Bat-
tery P. C. moved from north of
Thiaucourt into same, arriving
10:30 a. m.. Weather fair.
Roads muddy. Camp good. No-
vember 1 0, no change. Novem-
ber 1 1 , no change (except in the
war). November 12, 1st Bat-
talion from position at Thiaucourt
to Bouillionville, leaving at 1 1 :30
and arriving at 1 :30 a. m. Weath-
er fair. November 1 3, with regi-
ment again. Bouillionville to
Pont-a-Mousson. Left 9 a. m.,
arrived at 4 p. m. Weather
cloudy. Roads muddy. Health good. Camp
poor. Billets at Pont-a-Mousson. Good
billets.
AEROFIiANX;
FHOTO OF
THIAtTCOTTBT
The 2nd Battalion at tKe Front
The Second Battalion was detached from
the regiment cind attached to the Division Ar-
tillery, 28th Division, on October 29th, by
verbal order of the Commanding General,
Headquarters 4th Army Corps.
At 8:30 on the morning of
November 2nd Major Rey-
nolds, Staff, and the Battery
Commanders left Bois Fliery
wood, where the battalion was
camped and rode forward to
the headquarters of the 341st
Field Artillery, where they met
Colonel Davis and his staff.
From there they proceeded to
the positions which they chose,
west of Beney.
At 3:00 o'clock the column
left Bois Flirey and two hours
later arrived at Essey for even-
ing mess. They waited there
until after dark. The firing
batteries moved to their posi-
tions and the caissons and lim-
bers went under cover of
woods one kilometer west of
Nonsard, where the echelon
was established. The weather was cold and
rainy, the roads sloppy and slippery. The
health of the men was very good.
Twenty-three officers and six hundred men
were available for duty on November 3rd.
They worked on preparation and camouflaging
of positions until daylight interrupted their op-
erations. The Battalion Post Command w^as
established at Pannes. The weather was fair
this day and the night was spent in improving
the positions.
The next day Lieut. Stover selected a Bat-
talion Observation Post and organized it. In
the meantime the telephone net was well under
way. Enemy planes were very active. After
dark work progressed rapidly. D and F ad-
justment fire began.
At 2:15 the morning of the 5th Colonel
Davis sent word that a drive was on and that
the enemy was evacuating. Hasty prepara-
tions were made to pull out. Limbers and
Capt. Warren S. Booth
The Soixante Quinze Baby We Served on the Run
— 30-
caissons were ordered up to the positions. The
echelon became a moving cavalcade in a few
minutes' time. All surplus baggage was dis-
carded. Battery E was designated to accom-
pany the infantry. The estimation of the
enemy's strength was found in-
correct and between 5:15 and
6:30 a countermarch was
made. Batteries D and F fired
on cross roads during offen-
sive. Battery E took cover for
the day in the woods southwest
of St. Benoit and returned to
their old position west of Beney
that night. E was fired on
while in the woods but no
casualties resulted.
During the early morning
hours of the 6th D and F fired
concentration w^hile a raid was
in progress. A normal barrage
was sent over.
D and F again sounded re-
veille for Fritz on the 7th by
firing on the important cross
roads. So far all firing w^as
done by map. The v^^eather
was foggy and observation impossible.
Between 2:56 and 3:30 the next afternoon
Battery D fired gas shells on an enemy Infan-
try Post Command. Battery E concentrated
their fire with high explosive on a machine gun
emplacement. Battery F fired on a large
working party with high explosive. During
the day Lieut. Sutliff returned from school and
was made Ammunition Officer.
The guns began work at 5:35 the morning
of the 9th. D and E fired neutralization on
a machine gun nest with high explosive. F
fired on a place known as Marimbois Farm,
which was infested with the enemy. Rain
came dow^n at steady intervals. Major Rey-
nolds was promoted to Lieut. Colonel; Lieut.
Gemuend was placed in charge of the echelon.
At 5:30 a. m., November 1 0th, a special
barrage was laid down by the Battalion on a
line just north of Donmartin. This fire was a
part of the offensive action, accompanying an
attack of the 4th Army Corps
as outlined by the Headquar-
ters of the 28 th Division.
At 12:30 we were given the
mission of protecting the left
flank of the Infantry in our sec-
tor during an advance. A
standing barrage was laid dow^n
with a rapid rate of fire. This
barrage lasted several hours.
At 4:05 the enemy machine
guns became active in Damp-
vitoux. Battery F concentrated
from 4:10 until 4:19. Batteries D and E from
4:15 until 4:19. They then returned to the
special barrage. At 4:50 a red flare told them
to revert to normal barrage. Firing continued
at intervals until 6:00 o'clock.
November 11th. 5:45, Batteries E and F
concentrated on machine guns. D fired a
standing barrage. At 8:30 the Battalion con-
centrated on Dampvitoux for fifteen minutes.
From 10:20 to 10:59 the Battalion conducted
a harassing fire on a line from Lachansee to
Hageville. From then on until 1 1 :00 o'clock
a maximum barrage was laid on a line in front
of Dampvitoux.
At 1 1 :00 o'clock the armistice went into
effect. Everyone was on the job for emer-
gency fire until Colonel Davis called at the
Post Command station and said the men and
horses could move to Beney for more com-
fortable accommodations. He also said that
concealment was no longer necessary.
The band played the national anthem while
the regiment marched into Beney and attended
a thanksgiving service in an old shell-wrecked
church. An allied aeroplane was flying low
over the town. Everyone was wearing smiles
at the thought of no more mud, gas or cold,
corned willy. The Battalion O. P. stayed on
the job until 12:45 and then moved to Beney.
The afternoon was spent by the regiment in
policing Beney and selecting quarters.
Feeding tHe Reg'iment
In the early part of our training each man
received careful instructions in preparing emer-
gency rations. It is doubtless well that those
instructions never had to be recalled. Our
regiment always enjoyed the best of health.
It seemed to be part of the basic principle upon
which the whole army was built that each job,
inasmuch as was possible, was to be a one-man
job. The development of specialists included,
and at the very top of the list, cooks. We had
regular cooks who did nothing but cook and
they were just good enough to rank high in
their specialty among members of a regiment
that when weighed in the balance were not
found wanting.
Back in the training areas in the United
States the batteries bought their own food
stuffs, complying always with the approved
ration allowance. The available market prod-
ucts made a variation in the daily menu easy
and the mess fund was available when the fel-
lows wanted a little something extra.
In those days we had a regular mess hall and
waiters and all that goes to make up an A No.
1 garrison mess. In after days we learned to
appreciate such a mess more than it was ever
supposed we would. It was not like home but
it wasn't like France either.
The real conquests by the cooks and mess
sergeants didn't laegin until we reached France.
On the way over we were fed by the boat's
crew. No one in the outfit is responsible for
that food and we don't hate anybody in it any-
how, so let the matter drop there. In France
the regulation red tape connected with draw-
ing and issuing rations entwined itself about
every one from the regimental mess sergeant
to the truck driver who hauled the food to the
supply company. The greater the quantity
drawn the more intricate the tanglmgs and
some idea of the quantity necessary for one
week's ration may be gained by the fact that
for the handling of it there was detailed eigh-
teen service wagons, seventy-two army mules,
thirty-six mule skinners and at least twenty
men to load and unload the rations.
If the tin cans in which the food was shipped
across the ocean to the army were to be given
to the boys they could build a house of tin and
doubtless would have enough left over to build
a garage, and if all the cows it took to fill those
cans were herded together no ranch in the
whole west could hold them.
Depending upon circumstances entirely, it
remained to know how to draw rations. For
instance, the regiment is on the move and stops
over night at a little station wherein there is
only a rail head, such as was the case at the
little town of Nanois, France. A report is sub-
mitted to the regimental supply office of the
strength of the organization taken from the
morning report and from it a ration return is
drawn and submitted to the rail head officer
who issues one day's rations.
What is a ration return? It is a certificate
made on Q. M. C. form stating the number of
men in the regiment, the number of rations re-
quired and the kind desii -^d — either field, gar-
rison or travel. This is signed by the com-
manding officer and becomes an official re-
quisition for food. Take, for example, the
average ration return and the details involved
in the correct distribution to the batteries of
the food drawn.
This memorandum is sent to each battery:
"Submit ration return for the period January
3 1 St, 1919, to February 6th, 1919, both dates
inclusive, seven day period. Return must be
at this office by noon today."
The data thus obtained is consolidated and
the rations are drawn, and then comes the real
work of the man in charge of the regimental
rations.
The next day sees an interesting sight in the
ration room. Bacon and bread go sailing out
the door to the little ration carts, past the mess
sergeant's nose, much the same as the farmer
feeds his cattle. Beans and macaroni go scoot-
ing past the K. P. Rice and cornmeal, break-
fast menu for seven days, fresh beef and po-
tatoes— dinner for another period.
You can see the ears of all the mess ser-
geants go up much the same as the ears of a
31
I
mule at the sight of steam when he hears, " 1 20
lbs. of jam, check; 2 51bs. butter, check; 300
lbs. sugar, check ; Velvet smoking, today, boys,
two packs to a man." Then watch their ears
fall when you tell them they've got to take
the soap whether they w^ant it or not, every-
thing on the issue slip goes. The official sig-
nature of the mess sergeant goes on the bot-
tom and the Battery is "setting pretty" for
seven more days, maybe.
Books could be written of the conversations
that could be heard in the ration room, as well
as on the outside, while the details were dis-
cussing and condemning the menus and recipes
of their mess sergeants. For instance, one fel-
low will swear by all that is good and holy
that he and the Battery have been eating beans
and beans only for four successive days. An-
other will say he has had for breakfast noth-
ing but the south side of a sow for two
months. One with a little more humor and
love for the good old Army Rumor will say
that his mess sergeant is a wizard with a gang
of eats. He will swear that they have had hot
cakes for breakfast, steaks for dinner and cake
with chocolate frosting for supper. That fel-
low will be regarded with a certain suspicion
the rest of the day. Get inside and the air is
blue. Curses, imagine them? "How the h —
am I going to feed that gang mush without
extra milk? I don't see why in h — they don't
give us more milk and less soap. D'you know
the French only give 3 francs for 2 bars of
that stuff?" About that time in comes Zucka,
sergeant, Battery A. "Hello, gang! Say, what
the h — , do we get corned beef today?" Then
confidential like, "Say, d'you hear the latest,
we're going to move next week." And so it
goes until about noon when the roar cools off
and the smoke of the battle clears up. Then
around come the stragglers. "Say, did you see
my coffee go on my ration cart?" And it's
ten to one he wants some extra coffee. He
doesn't get it.
So goes the work of the regimental supply
sergeant in charge of the rations. So goes the
work of mess sergeants and the details that
help to check the rations, coming and going.
The humorous side of the situation is easily
seen, the work involved is easily realized, but
the expense of the work, including the price
of the rations handed out, is hardly recognized.
It may be said that at each period rations to
the extent of thousands of dollars are passed
out w^ith less thought than of a newsboy sell-
ing his extras.
Take the period January 3 1 st, 1919, to
February 6th, 1919. It totaled a return of
Sing Me to Sleep
Sing me to sleep \vhen bullets fall,
Let xne forget the war and all.
Damp is my dug-out, cold are my feet.
Nothing but "Bully" and biscuit to eat.
Sing me to sleep ^vhen bombs explode
And shrapnel helmets are a la mode.
Over the sandbags, mud you will find —
Shell holes before you and shell holes
behind.
Sing me to sleep in some old shed,
Where rats are running around my head.
Stretched out on my shelterhalf — water-
proof !
Dodging the raindrops through the roof;
Dreaming of home and night in the West,
Somebody's overseas boots on my chest.
Far, far from le Guerre I long to be —
The lights of Detroit I would rather see —
Think of me creeping where cooties creep,
Waiting for someone to sing me to sleep.
BEN SOBEL,
Battery D.
10,303 rations. Let us see what that means
in beef alone, or the component parts that go
to make up the meat issue of the ration — 50%
of the total was fresh beef, 30% was bacon,
20% was corned beef ; 50% of 1 0,303 is 5, 1 5 1
rations, at 20 ozs. to a ration, totaling 6,439
lbs. Fresh beef at the estimated price of 25c
per lb. would involve $1,609.75; 30% of the
total 10,303 is 3,091 rations, at 12 ozs. per
HAS THIS HAPPENED TO YOU? .
ON THC.WAYtt I TgAT HAS MV WAME OH ITf
— 32 —
ration, total 2,318, at the estimated price of
50c per lb., total money value $1 , 1 59.00; 20%
of the total 10,303 is 2,061 rations, at 18 ozs.
per ration, a total of 2,061 lbs., at 30c per lb.,
$619.30. Considering only estimate prices
and low, modest prices at that, it is easy to
see that the cost of the ration alone is astound-
ing, not to consider the expense of transporta-
tion.
In order to make an issue of rations a Table
of Allowance is necessary, first to give to each
organization that is drawing rations a certain
amount as well as a certain variety of food.
A close study of some of these tables would
show that it is a tremendous task as well as a
mammoth expense to feed an army of a mil-
lion men.
A closer study of just who was responsible
for the full mess kits will be obtained by the
mention of a few of the names of the respon-
sible parties.
Headquarters Co. — Sgt. J. Hirchman, a big
fellow with a good heart and a good smelling
kitchen. A mighty nice fellow and a well liked
mess sergeant.
Supply Co. — Sgt. F. Williams, not so large in
size but possessed of a way of talking a com-
missary out of anything he wanted. 1 ate at
his kitchen and 1 know that he served a mess
that would suit anyone, even a "frog."
Battery "A" — Sgt. P. Zucka, another big fel-
low who claimed for himself speed in action,
especially at mess time when a straggler blew
in town. You could sick 'em on Pete and he
always fed 'em.
Battery "B"— Sgt. W. Holzer, small but
fast on his feet, dark in complexion but a white
"guy" all the way through. Not a bad kicker,
not a hard knocker, but a wizard at dishing
out "Hot Cakes" and "Bacon." An all around
good feeder and a happy soldier.
Battery "C" — Sgt. P. Di Laura, a real man
with his heart and his soul in his work. A
good provider and a fellow that got his share
and saw that his men got their share. A little
bit "old-fashioned" but a king in a kitchen.
Battery "D" — Sgt. J. Brown, happy Irish,
easy going, hard working, good natured and
everything else that goes in the making of a
man that can stand the "gaff" in a kitchen
surrounded by hungry artillerymen.
Battery "E" — Sgt. G. Tighe, the smallest
mess sergeant alive. Good goods come in
small packages. If they had built Tighe for
heavy duty he could have fed the regiment
steaks, doughnuts, hot cakes and pie, every
day menu of Battery "E."
Battery "F" — Sgt. H. Stanley. A sergeant
with many friends and a "Notorious Battery to
back him up." A kitchen over a "Rathskeller"
and a crew of cooks like a schooner. A big
feeder and a man with a smile.
^'11$
THAN TO FIND ,„ „
OUT HOW LITTLE /du promenade
You KNOW ABpUr(AVEC MOi MA
FREI^CH. X^jfC^ \chere'— oui
NOTHING WORSE^j,
m^-
—THAN TO HAVE POOR TEETH
IN THE ARNTV.
O'S"
— THAN TO MfET ONE OF
THESE FELLOWS WHEN ^QjH
\ YOU GET BACK /^
— THAN TO GET LOST
m
-THAN TO LOOk" OVERYOUI?
.NEXT week's rations.
— 33 —
Org'anirations We Have Been WitK
and THeir Insignia
If proof were needed of the old army say-
ing that good field artillery can go anywhere
and deliver the goods any time, it could be
found in the ofRcial record of our manifold
affiliations after leaving the States. We be-
longed to a good many organizations overseas
and none could say we didn't BELONG any time
we got a new assignment. Our regiment was
complimented everywhere it went on the
health of its men, its all-around good training
and discipline and the excellence of its paper
work. We make no bones about being proud
of the good old 329th.
During training in the States we belonged
to the 85th (Custer Division). This division
was Custer's first and best and was originally
under the command of Major-General Dick-
man, destined later to become commanding
general of the U. S. Army of Occupation. His
successor was Major-General Parker, now re-
tired. Major-General Kennedy was in com-
mand of the 85th when we sailed and remained
so until out return.
Upon reaching the A. E. F. we were de-
tached from the 85 th Division and classified
as Army Artillery. (In other words, artillery
that must be prepared to go anywhere. ) In
this status we served under orders from the
4th, 5 th and 6th Army Corps. This v^ras dur-
ing our period of training at Camp Coetquidan.
At the front our regiment was divided, the
1 st Battalion being attached to the 7th Divi-
sion and the 2nd Battalion to the 28th Divi-
sion. Thus it was that the 1 st Battalion saw
action wtih the 20th F. A. regiment. Colonel
Paynes commanding, and the 2nd Battalion
strafed the Hun with the 34 1 st Field Artillery,
Colonel Davis commanding.
When we moved to Pont-a-Mousson, after
the armistice, the 6th Army Corps again took
us under its wing. But presently we were re-
attached as a unit to the 7th Division and re-
mained under that command until February
1 st, 1919, when we were attached to the 9 1 st
Division "for return to the United States." O
joyful sound !
But we were not destined to go home with
the "Wild West" Division. Upon reaching St.
Calais on our homeward journey, we were re-
turned to our parent Division — the 85 th — and
proceeded on our way rejoicing. The reason
for this last move was said to be the excellent
condition of the records of our brigade.
0 85th Division — National Army
of Michigan and Wisconsin. In-
signia: Red CD. Know^n as Cus-
ter Division. Activities: Part of
the infantry served in Russia, and
part saw action at the Thiaucourt and Pou-
venelle sectors. Artillery, rated among the
best; 329th saw nine days' action in Thiau-
court and Pouvenelle sectors; 328th, eleven
days in Toul sector; 330th did not see
action.
7 th Division — Regular Army.
Insignia: Two triangles in black
on red base. Design supposed to
have been developed out of the
numeral seven, one numeral up
and the other down. Activities: October 9th
(D
to November I I th in Pouvenelle sector and
ditto sector extended.
• 28th Division — National Guard of
Pennsylvania. Insignia: Keystone
of red cloth. Activities: June 30th
to November 1 1 th, sector southeast
of Chateau-Thierry, Vesle sector, Ar-
gonne-Meuse offensive, and Thiaucourt sector.
9 I st Division — National Army of
Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Cali-
fornia, Idaho, Nevada, Montana, Wy-
oming and Utah. Insignia: Green
fir tree emblematic of the far west.
Known as "Wild West " Division. Activities:
September 20th to November 1 I th, Argonne-
Meuse offensive, Belgium.
A
CAMOurcO TO AePFtCSris-r
CAjMOPFLAGE [^
^HWE
~ »** FACT KOR
WAMN APPCARS Like A CBBM-VN
SAft WHEN THC CNeHV a«THe«5
^KOUNO TO TAMt A pnrikfK THffV
— 34
THe Army Horse and Mule
"Stand to heel! Commence grooming!"
There's no better way to start this article,
because of all the introductions that come
a-thronging in the life of an artillery rookie,
that is the most enlightening. What he thought
before was a horse — or a mule — becomes a
nightmare of currycombs, disinfected brushes,
and feet that always need cleaning. If he be
from Detroit he murmurs — after he has forced
some steed to agree with the Sarge that it can
be done — "They'll never believe me" ; or
never ceases to wonder "Why is a horse, any-
way
I"
Well, here's the answer, Buddy from Auto
Town. Because the army can't get along with-
out the horse. He is as necessary as rations
(really enables us to have them more times
than not), and he goes, very often, where
gasoline can't flow. And much as the drudg-
ery of taking care of him palls on us, as much
as we dislike his eccentricities, his mechanical
appetite, his misguided attempts at playfulness,
we've got to hand it to him in the long run.
The "art" in artillery — our artillery — would
be useless without him; verily, he is "man's
best friend" (grooming or no grooming), back
of the lines or in them.
On the long, long trail a-winding he may
slip and slide on the icy road until his muscles
ache and his head droops, but he carries on.
Dare we begrudge him the twenty minutes'
grooming that sets his skin to tingling again?
His home in the army is any old place there is
room for a picket line. Do we regret the
stable police labor that gave him comparative
comfort at the garrison? Nay, though we clip
through the long hours of the night to make
his world unsafe for "horse cooties".
"The mule is magnificent in war, and our
battles have been won as much by mules as
by men. The mule will eat anything, endure
anything, and, when understood and humored
by its driver, will do anything. It works until
it falls dead by the roadside. In the spring
hundreds die in harness. In fact, few die ex-
cept in harness. They die facing the foe, drag-
ging rations along shell-swept roads to the men
in the trenches.
"The mule knows neither love nor offspring.
Apart from a few gambols in the field, or
while tethered to picket-lines, it knows noth-
ing but work. It is the supreme type of drudge.
It is one of the greatest factors in the war, and
yet receives scarcely any recognition and more
whipping than praise."
So wrote Chaplain Thomas Tiplady in his
book "The Soul of the Soldier." He could
find soul enough among OUR men, were he
to look for it, to give the horse and the mule
their due.
35-
NEV£(?
A STR
BRUSH VOUI? TEETH IN
CAM WHICH IS TOO MUDPY
->ro WASH YOUC CLOTHES IN
2.A,SCiL0IEP MUST HAVE A GOOD NIGHTS
REST — SUEE-P WITH FEBT EXPOSED.
7. 'A COUD SHOWER EVERV
MORNING — USa THIS METHOD WHEN '
A SHOWER IS NOT AVAILABUE
( WannoroV
— 36-
Getting'
Home
THe EleventH Hour Regiment
The quaint, little old chimes on Pont-a-Mousson hall were tinkling
eleven. Our business manager was calling our attention to the fact
the only eleven sticks of wood were left for the leaky French stove.
For the eleventh time that morning we were interrupted in our work by
a bearer of eleventh hour "copy" for the Book. It was First Sergeant
Price of Battery B, who, by the way, was promoted to his exalted post
on the 1 1 th of October.
"Boys," quoth he, "I've hit upon a story!"
"Out with it!" in chorus.
"Well, I'm darned," said Price, "if our lucky number isn't eleven!"
We grinned superstitiously. "But seriously," he continued, "listen to
this." And he went on to recount a chain of events which convinced
us — superstition or no — that this must be the Eleventh Hour Regiment.
We were in training just two days short of eleven months in the
States. We entrained for Camp Mills, July 1 6th, 1918, at 11 a. m.
On July 30th, at 1 1 a. m., we left Mills for Hoboken. At 1 I a. m.
the next morning we took our last (for a while) look at the Statue of
Liberty. It took us just eleven days to cross the Atlantic and at 1 1 a. m.
on the morning of August 1 1th we marched off the boat at Liverpool.
Some even claim that there were eleven transports in the convoy.
At any rate we landed in France at 1 1 a. m., August 14th; stayed
at Messac just eleven days, left our next camp — Coetquidan — at 1 1
a. m. again, and arrived at the front in the eleventh hour of the fray —
on the crest of the wave that crushed the Hun — and were there at the
finish which came on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the
eleventh month.
Any doubts as to our lucky number?
And lest we forget — we received our service stripes on the 1 1 th
day of February, and on the same day at the old, infallible II a. m.
left the Pont-a-Mousson siding for home. Just twenty-two months after
our country entered the war.
Oh, yes, and the old Leviathan snuggled in alongside of the dock at
Hoboken at just 1 1 o'clock the morning of April 2nd, 1919.
— 38 —
Brief History of Pont-a-Mousson
Pont-a-Mousson means "Bridge at Mous-
son." The bridge originally crossed the Mo-
selle at about the same spot as the one there
at present. Mousson is the little village of
one hundred and sixty inhabitants before the
war — which crowns the tall hill across the
river on the east. The village itself is hidden
from Pont-a-Mousson by the crest of the hill,
and all we see is the church
with its statue of Joan of Arc,
and the remains of the old
chateau walls. The origin of
Pont-a-Mousson is so closely
allied with that of Mousson
that the history of the latter
must be spoken of.
The explanation for the
name "Mousson" is this: In
ancient times a pagan temple
had been erected upon the
summit of the hill, dedicated
to "Janis" or "lo." The peas-
ants of the region found the
name lo upon fragments of
the ruins and referred to the
hill at Mt. Janis or Mons-la,
which gradually changed tr>
"Monsio," "Monsion," and
finally "Mousson," through
several intermediary changes,
clearly traceable from manu-
scripts of the time.
It is certain that the hill of Mousson was oc-
cupied for strategic purposes since remotest an-
tiquity. Its prominence as a landmark, its
superb height, its peculiar conical shape, ease
of fortification and its location beside the Mo-
selle made obscurity impossible.
The first direct proofs of occupation are
fragments of Roman origin, such as pieces of
sculpture and building fragments, coins, ar-
mor, etc., some of which may be seen in the
museum of the Ducal Palace at Nancy. A
main Roman road ran from Toul to Metz,
passing through Alton (the little village just
south of the hill) and then under the slope of
Mousson hill on the east side. A secondary
road ran from east to west, crossing the Mo-
selle at Pont-a-Mousson and connecting with
the main road, probably through the valley
north of Mousson. A strong fortification on
the hill, which was also terraced, protected the
bridge and cross road, and here we have the
origin of Pont-a-Mousson Fort. Four second-
ary fortifications w^ere built at each end of the
bridge for further protection. Around these
forts the peasants, of course, built their homes,
in preference to the hill, and here, too, the
commerce of the river caused markets. The
end of the bridge nearest Mousson developed
first and the most rapidly and this is by far
the oldest part of the town, although today the
oldest existing buildings are to be found in the
newer, main part.
As the warlike character of the place
changed and the commerce grew, the develop-
ment of the older part was hindered by the
nearness of the hill, and so at present Mousson
itself and the "vieille ville" are relatively unim-
portant. It is curious that the part on the out-
side of the river is sometimes called today not
a part of Pont-a-Mousson, but
"Antreville," which means
"the other village." In Roman
days this little double village
over the river was spoken of
(Ninth Century manuscript)
as the "Villa Pontus sub Cas-
tra Montionis." (Bridge vil-
lage under the Camp of Mous-
son.) Its subsequent shorten-
ing to Pont-a-Mousson is easy
to trace.
The 1500 inhabitants of
Pont-a-Mousson have coined
for themselves the adjective
"Mussipontain ' and seem
very proud of their town; in-
ordinately so, it seems to us,
who have seen only the de-
serted, shell-torn aspect
through a wet, drab winter.
Possibly a peace-time stroll
under the shady arches sur-
rounding the "square" (tri-
angle, in truth) admiring the beautifully carved
stone fronts, sparkling white in the blazing sun,
or a walk through the well-kept parks on the
south of the town would cause a change of
opinion.
Pont-a-Mousson first became a town of im-
portance about the 1 0th century and began to
receive frequent mention in the chronicles of
the time. In the 1 1 th century a very impor-
tant hospital v^as established under the com-
mandery of St. Antoine of Liege. Its build-
ings were erected directly across the river from
Headquarters Company's billets. The first
known rulers of the region and owners of the
castle or chateau part of Mousson were the suc-
cessive counts of Bar, each of whom styled
himself by preference "Count of Mousson."
They found the castle on the hill about as com-
fortable as an eagle's nest, and moved down
into Pont-a-Mousson about the 12 th century.
Count Thibaut I at the end of the 1 2th century
built a college near the west end of the bridge
and gave Pont-a-Mousson proper its birth.
Thibaut I (1230-12 70) surrounded the grow-
ing town with ramparts and systematized the
plan.
It became a marquisot in 1354 and a city of
the empire in 1372. In 1431, at the dawn of
modern times, the Duchy of Bar was united to
that of Lorraine and Pont-a-Mousson became
a Lorraine village. It increased gradually and
— 39
became the home of a large number of relig-
ious organizations, especially during the 1 4th
and 15th centuries. This period was the most
brilliant in the history of the town, mainly from
the celebrated university which w^as established
in 15 72 and flourished for two centuries. It
had an European reputation and gave Pont-a-
Mousson the title "Athens of Lorraine." It
was managed by the Jesuits and, at the sup-
pression of that order, was moved to Nancy in
Detroit Electricians and
Pont-a-Mousson Po-w^er
When the res^iment moved into Pont-a-
Mousson no lighting facilities were to be
found. Candles were not available and al-
though lamps were plentiful, oil could not be
purchased for love or money. It looked like
we were up against it.
Upon investigation of the town, however,
a small electric power plant was found lo-
cated on a canal running into the Moselle
river. Its power supply had evidently been
augmented by some other source, but all
connections were broken.
This discovery made, our electricians got
busy and put the little plant into working
order. Lines were run to the billets and
offices, bulbs were secured from Nancy, and
we had light.
"The Post-War Pont-a-Mousson Electric
Company" was composed principally of two
ex-Detroit electricians, Sgt. Frank M. Hydon
and Corp. William D. McKellar. Their spe-
cial duty status endowed them with a privi-
lege, that of giving us light, and they took
advantage of it. Without their works night
life in Pont-a-Mousson would have been ex-
ceedingly dull.
1 768. It occupied the buildings along the
east bank of the Moselle, north of the bridge,
and was replaced in 1 800 by a royal military
school which stands today.
The town was captured in 1476 by Charles
the Bald, Duke of Burgundy; w^as besieged in
1632 by Louis Xlll and in 1670 the chateau
part of Mousson and the other fortifications
were destroyed by command of Louis XIV.
In 1 766, after the death of Stanislas, Pont-a-
Mousson became thoroughly French in its
manners and customs.
During the Franco-Prussian war, Pont-a-
Mousson and the surrounding territory fell into
the hands of the Germans. The 12th day of
August, 1 870, a skirmish occurred in the streets
between the African Chasseurs of General Mar-
guerite and the German advance guard. A
tablet in one of the houses in the Rue Gam-
betta, half way between St. Martin Church and
the Toul-Metz road, marks this occurrence.
The 2 1 st of August, after the battle of St.
Privot, the royal Prussian quarters were estab-
lished in Pont-a-Mousson. They w^ere in the
same building that Battery F used as their
main billet and the officers' living room was
the room used by the ex-kaiser — then crown
prince — as a bedroom.
Pont-a-Mousson is the birthplace of several
notables. First, Marguerite of Anjou (1429-
1482), daughter of the good King Rene, hero-
ine of the War of the Roses, who married
Henry VI of England. She was celebrated
for her courage and misfortunes. Her birth-
place was in a chateau-fort on the site of Head-
quarters Company's billets. It was destroyed
by Crequi at the same time as Mousson and
from the ruins were built part of the quar-
ters of the 12th French Dragoons before the
war. These quarters surrounded the square
used by Supply Company and later the regi-
ment as a carriage park.
Another celebrity was Jean Barclay, the
author. Still another was Duroc, Duke of
Frioul (1772-1813), a particular friend of
Napoleon I and Grand Marshal of the Palace.
His birthplace and home was in the billet oc-
cupied by Battery A.
Fabvier (1782-1855), a general and peer
of France, the hero of the Greek independence,
was born on the street which bears his name.
There are many interesting places in Pont-
a-Mousson. The most noteworthy is the
Church of St. Martin on the east bank of the
Moselle. It was built during the 1 3th and
1 4th centuries and was first the church of the
commandery of St. Antoine, mentioned above,
and then a university. The towers are 42
metres high, the one nearest the corner the
most ornamental. The entire church is pure
Gothic in style and is a splendid example on
a small scale of its more famous prototypes.
The portal is richly ornamented and is exceed-
ingly like that of the Cathedral of Toul. It
is the flowery original style of the fifteenth
century, the work of the same architect as that
of Toul, Jacquemin de Commercy, one of the
few designers w^hose names have actually come
down to us.
The Place Duroc, the triangular space in
the center of town, has but one interest outside
of its unique arches. This is the "Home of the
Seven Capital Sins" — the second building on
the right on entering the Place from the west
has seven stone statues on the face of its sec-
ond story which give the building its name.
It was the stopping place of the Princes of Lor-
raine during the seventeenth century on their
visits to the town.
St. Laurent Street, which held Regimental
H. Q., Battery E and the postoffice and Chap-
lain's quarters, has many houses of rennais-
sance age — the end of the sixteenth and be-
ginning of the seventeenth centuries — and also
the Church of St. Laurent. The choir of the
latter dates from the fifteenth century.
The billet of Battery E, built in 1598, was
formerly the home of "The Sisters of the Chris-
tian Doctrine," one of the numerous religious
orders already mentioned. Its ashen door
in spite of age shows most of the original
carving. The building on the right of the
— 40 —
street at the corner opposite Regimental H. Q.
and the one next to it, used at first as the
Chaplain's quarters, date from the sixteenth
century and present the overhanging second
story and other details of the period.
The Place St. Antoine, where guard mounts
were held, was formerly an antique forum or
market, where the commercial business was
discussed. So in holding our ceremonies there
we only repeated the history of the old Roman
guard mounts held on the same spot. The twin
towers across the river from. H. Q. Company
belong to the Chapel of the Abbey of Saint
Marie Majeure, established by Louis XIV and
dating from I 705.
Going from the Place Duroc to the bridge
and turning to the right along the bank of the
river, one may see, as part of the abutment
walls of the river bank, remains of the orig-
inal walls used as fortifications. The raised
boulevard, curving around the depot, with its
trees planted in I 795, and the parks beyond,
were favorite promenades of the inhabitants
for several centuries. On the south of the
town are the furnaces and foundries for iron
work — mostly piping — which, with the
wine of the Moselle districts there-
about, made Pont-a-Mousson indus-
trially important.
Of the environs of Pont-a-Mousson,
Mousson is the most interesting. The
hill is 386 metres high and on a clear
day the Cathedral of Metz can be seen
on the north and to the south the
hill of Mont-Saint-Mihiel with the fort
dominating Toul. Many of the houses of the
village are of fifteenth and sixteenth century
build. The small square wing on the right
of the church is the only remnant of the
eleventh century, the balance being restored
in 1895 and crowned with the statue of Joan
of Arc. In the center of the right wing men-
tioned stands a large, curiously carved bap-
tismal fount, unfortunately covered with sand
bags at the time the regiment was there. The
crumbling brown walls are the only remains
of the chateau fort and date from the thir-
teenth century.
On the west of Pont-a-Mousson stand the
brick and wood barracks built by the Germans
in 1870 and used as workingmen's billets be-
fore the recent war.
Narroy, 4 kilos north of Pont-a-Mousson
and in a small valley just off the left bank of
the river, is famous for its wines, its sixteenth
century church and small stone monument used
by the Druids for religious purposes.
Ten kilos south of Pont-a-Mousson is Drieu-
louard (we entrained there) with the prom-
inent side and tower of a chateau-fort built
— 41
in the tenth century and successively destroyed
and rebuilt until finally dismantled by Louis
XIV in I 660 to its present still imposing as-
pect. The island formed by the river just east
of Dieulouard is the site of the celebrated
Scarponne, besieged without success by Attila
in the fifth century. The wandering of the
river has destroyed all buildings but old coins,
bronzes and debris of sculpture have been
found and may be seen in the Nancy museum.
On the top of the hill above St. Genevieve
(the town on the hill south of Pont-a-Mous-
son) is a cross commemorating the spot w^here
a large number of Christians suffered martyr-
dom under the hands of German barbarians
in the fourth century. The high mound against
which St. Genevieve itself is built is one of a
series built by Attila for his fortified camps.
LIEUT. D. W. KAUFMAN,
Battery F.
Christmas Cheer on Tap
Christmas day it snowed in Pont-a-Mousson.
That snow looked more like home than any-
thing we had seen in France. Christmas night
we feasted. The fellows were prone to look
forward to Christmas day with just a tinge of
regret, secretly they hoped to be back home
by then, but it wasn't so bad after all.
If the headquarters company cooks had by
accident poured a sack of salt instead of sugar
into the coffee, or if they had burned the
beans six days in
succession, on Christ- ^^^^^^^^"^ '
mas day they made
up for all of it. In
all our army life we
never had a feed
like that and Thanks-
giving and Christ-
mas back at Custer
were no mean af-
fairs.
Darkness came at
four-thirty w^ h i c h
was our usual sup-
per time but two ex-
tra hours were given
on that night in
which to whet up
our appetites. They
were keen when the
time came.
Enough food for
two hundred men is a
than three cooks can
" Nine by— THree by— Four**
You certainly gave me a royal surprise,
"Nine by — Three by — Four."
You proved to be bigger bv far than your size,
"Nine by Three by — Four."
We thought you'd be wee by your tag from H. Q.,
And you looked quite petite when you hove into view —
But in Xmas abundance you brought something new,
"Nine by — Three bv — Four."
You're a tribute to Yankee get-there-or-bust,
"Nine by Three by — Four."
You'll help us go Pretzel-ward now if we must,
"Nine by Three hv — Four."
You're a bunch of condensed Xmas cheer in some twine!
But there's one thing you couldn't begin to confine —
That's my love for those wonderful Ain Folks o' Mine,
"Nine by — Three by — Four."
SGT. WM. R. MELTON,
Battery B.
whole lot more
prepare, sample
food
and
serve, so at the sound of the whistle the com-
pany fell in and gave them a lift to the ban-
quet hall.
For this special occasion the gymnasium on
the third floor of the school building was
cleared and converted into a banquet hall.
Some of our camouflage artists had been busy
during the day and the gym looked regular.
A big Christmas tree bow^ed to us from one
corner. Old Glory waved from another. The
walls were draped with vine and evergreen.
Jap lanterns here and there topped off the
setting of the scene.
We filed in at the appointed hour and the
most pleasant Christmas night ever spent away
from home started. The dinner wasn't served
in courses. It all came in at once and the tables
fairly creaked. The mess sergeant with a
broad smile on his face leaned against the wall
and watched the boys enjoy themselves. And
they whole-heartedly paid him the fairest com-
pliment to his efforts that he could wish for.
The feast over someone started tearing
away the decorations from a corner. The
evergreen parted, our eyes rested on the end
of a huge keg. Ah, Fritz, you unwillingly
shared part of your Christmas delicacies with
us! The tap was driven in and merriment
claimed the evening.
- We had guests
that night and they
favored us with
toasts. Captain
Brady, the Chaplain
and our own officers
livened up the occa-
sion with jests. We
had songs, recitals
and games. Each
man got a present
from the Christmas
tree and read aloud
the poem attached
to it.
It was a happy
occasion all the way
around and the boys
will remember it
^^^^i^.^^.^^.^^;;^^^ when other features
are forgotten, that
surprise of surprises, that Christmas night in
the No-Man's Land of but a yesterday.
* * *
Americans are said to be the greatest sou-
venir hunters the world has ever known. The
trip to Europe furnished two million of them
a grand opportunity to enlarge their respective
collections.
The mysterious souvenir of the radio room
seemed to energize prospective buyers more
than any other article placed on the market.
The entire band section stepped lively when
they inspected it; one of the band men kicked
over a stove in his frantic haste to get to his
pocketbook. Cal Stewart coined a lot of
choice epithets descriptive of his appreciation.
Corporals Ferguson and Inlow were raised to
lofty heights and together sang a song entitled
"Turn It Off."
— 42-
Mss. Found in tKe Guard House
Now breaks the guardhouse into print. We
hadn't imagined it would until we found this
manuscript on the floor of a 329th brig, just
emptied of its tenants by moving orders. It
lay on a floor quite barren of other ideas.
Save for a few cootie casualties it was the sole
survivor of the exodus. We picked it up
curiously, as it were, and reverently, as it hap-
pened, transcribed it on our weary Corona.
And here it is, as Pete Schulte would say:
"i am in the brig It aint my fault. TTiat
dam topkick — how i hate him My bunky
told me of a new edishun on sware words
which Ime sending for to discuss him with — i
mean the topkick not my bunky.
"i have desided to rite a book i aint liter-
rary — my ears is two strate out from my head
to hold a pencil — ^but i red in one of the Chap-
lin's books about a guy what rote a book in
jail and it was published in 2 Cities * * *
Now Ime starting the book —
"Gentyl reeder take it from one ■who nose
the army is A moving guardhouse They don't
never give you no peece — they wood only for
the First sargeant who is known soshally as
the topkick. He aint hooman he put me on
KP onct when my girl was out to visit me He
even wares spurs on his vocabulary. Some-
times i wake up out of a nitemare just in time
to save his life
"He nose more than that wise bird in the
old Testiment and he wont answer a civil
question — Unles you ast him if voure on dooty.
He thinks we're all deff and barks at us like
a Newfound dog. He can make you fc^l
cheep with 900 francs in your pocket. He
can see a button casualtee a mile and cant here
anything he dont want to Hez ruff and reddy
and hardboiled. His folks is sed to have died
of hard feelings. He thinks every guy on Sick
call is a pill-Boy — In breef, he dont seem to
care if he lives after the war or not Ive often
wished he'd take his post and disappeare w^ith
it.
"i fell air to more francs than i kneeded in
Pont-a-Mousson and went AWOL to visit
Nancy And he found out i wuz gone before i
left. i bet he set up nites waitin for me to
come back He sez youre under Arest the
minut i come in. i sez i know it — you cant
tell me nothin. O cant i sez he And i landed
here where i hadnt oughta be What if Suzie
shood discover —
"i wuz interrupted Somebody calling my
name It was the topkick and he brot me some
male and a Xmas package and he sez Youll
be out soon Bill we're gonna move And i sez
Ime happier than i wuz There aint no topkick
here to kick me Around. And he sez have a
cigarette and unboozumed his hart to me.
"Maybe he might be hooman after All —
maybe. He sez maybe you think a Buck is
Goat No. 1 in this army but he aint. The
topkick is. Buck has nothin on his mind but
hair and meals and mail, generally. Topper
has the cares of a battery on his mind and no
Officers able to swear outloud. He yerns to
be hoomon but his job won't let him. Hez a
edison reckord with nothin but disturbin music
allowed — when they turns on the soothin mel-
odies its time for Officers mess.
An Armx Legend
When good civilians die tliey go
To HeHVen, a« a rule.
An old First Sergeant doesn't die,
But turns into a mule.
He plods along quite faithfully,
Has ne'er a word to say.
And never growls about his "chow,"
Nor kicks about his pay.
Now, should you go a-soldering,
The army is a school.
And lesson one is simply this:
Respect the army mule.
They once were soldiers, like yourself,
These drudses 'fore the wheels:
And lesson two — I'!! whifper it:
Don't fool around their heel*.
-Life.
"Hez offlshal killjoy by vertyou of his po-
sishun — if there aint anything to do in the
Battery, Headquarters hollers detail. He
gives nothin but orders cause he gets so many
hez gotta unload. He got hardboiled because
they left him in hot water too long.
"And now hez got a letter from his girl
wonderin why he writes crabbylike. Hez
wonderin if maybe i couldn't chear him up a
littel before he answers. He sez i alius did
tickle him though he dassent show it. Hez
gone now and Ime wonderin if maybe i wont
be abel to consider him as a hooman being
when i meat him in Deetroit * * * "
Over Here
At one stop in France part of us were bil-
leted in an ex- (dirt floor) garage out toward
the edge of town. Our quarters weren't bad
at that, except that we had no place to wash.
(Does Brer Yank like his morning ablutions)
Ask him!)
The absence of basins and such-like didn t
worry us; we just couldn't locate any aqua
pura or otherwise. (It was a wine town.)
There wasn't even a hydrant within half a
mile from where our kitchen was.
The first morning we went washless to
"chow." The next some of the boys borrowed
a bucket of water from somewhere, and as
msmy as could dove in. The third morning
one of the early birds ducked his head in the
— 43 —
door and yelled, "Come on, you guys, and
wash! Beaucoup water, basins n' everything."
We wondered who our benefactor could be
and learned it was the little old lady next door.
We had noticed her a time or two before.
She always had a "bon jour" for the boys.
Her hair was gray and time had left deep
etchings on her face. Declining years (and
doubtless heavy labor) had bent her shoulders
and her step was faltering but she was of the
stock that dies with boots on. The look in
her eyes — over the stumpy spectacles — told
you that.
She couldn't talk our language but she knew
how good a morning wash felt to us and she
was busy lugging more water for the row of
china basins — her basins — and the line of
husky soldiers — Uncle Sam's soldiers. 'Round
the house she hobbled and shortly reappeared
with the old (retired) sprinkler-bucket brim-
ful. Several hastened to help her. But no,
she could carry the bucket alone. Let the boys
go on with their splashing. She understood.
Didn't she have two sons in the army?
Thereafter, every morning, no matter how
early we got up or how dismal the weather,
our w^ashing water and the basins were always
there. Our old "grandmere," as she called
herself, never forgot us. And what would she
appreciate in return for all this thoughtfulness?
Why, just a bite now and then of our army
white bread. And it was nothing but "punk"
to us and a darned poor variety of that.
St. Calais
Regimental headquarters were here on the
last stop before the Belgian Camp. Saint
Calais is an ancient Galla-Roman town, named
for an abbey founded at the time of Clotaire 1.
The Church of Notre Dame there is of 1540
and has an original and rich facade of that
period. The lower part of the octagonal pil-
lars inside dates from 1 366. On the hill and
back of the church are the remains of a chateau
built in the eleventh century, consisting of two
Different War Medals
Here Sam, what am dat thing you got pinned on your
O. D. coat?
"Why dat's a Crois de Guerre I got in France.
I killed a dozen Germans single handed at de front —
And sho did take one awful desp'rate chance."
And nigger what's dat oder medal dat adorns your
chest?"
"Why dat's a D. S. C. from Uncle Sam-
The general asked for volunteers to go across da top.
So I stepped up and said, 'Sir, here's your man.' "
Now, Sam no medals hang on me for ^vound or
bravery,
But dere's one I sho'ly would like to have on.
We all have earned it for we sho'ly licked dat Kaiser
Bill,
Da name of it — why it's "A CrossdePond."
BURT B. BARSOOK, H. Q. Company.
tall fragments of masonry. In the village
stands a bust of Poitenin (1819-1 882 ) , the in-
ventor of the permanent carbon print, who was
born here. Population about 3,600 — and we
will say that the people of this quaint, little old
village were about as nice to us as any we
met in our travels.
St. Calais has narrow streets, running in no
particular direction. The houses are arranged
irrespective of the streets and, as a result,
some of them set far back in the yards, the
majority of them are flush with the sidewalk
and some extend over the walks, usually with
their base lines at an oblique with the curb, it
is very ridiculous to Americans.
Everything is old and crumbling. Vines
are obviously present. The trees are stubby
and covered with parasitic moss. Small hedges
fill every available corner.
The shops are small. Some are extremely
neat while others are very untidy and unin-
viting. There is a hydrant of running water
in every block. The flow crosses the walk
into the gutter. The city is unlighted at night
and even the shops have draw curtains behind
their window^s, similar to the American saloon.
The French cafes are "beaucoup." Every
block has one or more. Mademoiselles and
madames serve the drinks. The poorer people
wear wooden shoes and sound like a galloping
horse when they amble over the cobblestones.
It is a quaint, little old city.
* * *
QuicK Watson, Life Buoy!
The veteran was reminiscing. "Speaking
of baths," he was saying, "I've had some funny
washes in this man's army. I've had ice
baths, steam baths, hot baths and luke ones.
I've bathed in rivers, mountain streams, fold-
ing buckets, French soup tureens, mess kits and
shell holes, but that bath at St. Calais sort
o' took the 'Lifebuoy.' It was a lallapaloozer!"
And he bit off a chew of army plug w^ith more
than ordinary vehemence and spat across the
neighboring canal.
"Take goin' down there. That was regular
enough. We fell in — same old squads left —
and marched down the street, clean duds in
hand or under the raincoat, dependin' upon
how^ much rain you was absorbin'. Funny
lookin' place we stopped at, though. I began
to wonder then.
"It was just any French house on the street.
There was one of them high gates though and
we went through that — after hearin' that we'd
go upstairs and undress. What-da-yah-mean,
upstairs? Oh yeh, the rickety ones, leadin'
up into an attic where some of the gang is
billeted. After we undress here where do we
go? (I wasn't the only Unwashed that was
wonderin' that.)
44 —
'Line up,' says the Top, 'towels in hand —
an' soap. We're going down again.' Where,
man? Where? We're naked — we're as we
is! All right, I'll shet up. Twenty-four at a
time? I'm here. Br-r-r-r ! Let's GO!
"Well, dow^n we goes finally, shiverin' and
steppin' high. Out into the back court-yard —
or whatever you calls one of them Frog back
yards. The rain fell plumb on us then. It
was winter in the middle of February. My
cold was downright happy. But some sort of
an infernal machine was makin' an awful
racket. (I later noticed it was a rovin' tank-
Army »$tew
(Tune: "Long Boy")
It is iust a bowl of army stew
When the cook hss nothins else to do
He takes a hunk of army beef,
Some rubber heels and cabbage leaf:
Now, it is rich and it is hot
And it always goes to the same old spot —
But when they get it every day,
Your hear thoie Buddies say:
Chorus:
Good-bye ma. sood-bye pa,
Good-bye mule, with your old hee-haw!
I may not know how this stew is made.
But you bet, by Gosh ! I ain't afraid.
And, Oh, my sweetheart, if I die
They cannot say that I didn't try !
For I can swallow what I can't chew —
And that's about all one fellow can do.
— Contributed.
car, heatin' the w^ater with gas and pumpin' it
with the engine power. There's some as argues
that the water had joined the Anti-Cootie
League, formed after the finee of Booze.)
"Anyhow, the next thing after that dash
was, 'Leave your towels here!' Which we did
in a matchbox of a room with no nails on the
walls and water on the floor. Then into the
shower room proper, as the Chaplain would
say. Twenty-four of us fit into it like suckers
into a sardine can. But we got in — and was
lookin' up at the framework of pipes above
when some guy yells, 'Look out! Here she
comes!' (No 'On the way' or nothin'.) And
come she did, cold as Havre, Montana, and
fast as Niagara. But we stuck, rememberin'
about the five-minutes-only order — which 1
forgot to mention — and hopin' it would get
hot. It did. Toot sweet — Damnhot.
"Whereupon there was a medley of arms,
feet an* yells, such as mingles only in the life
of a soldier. Every man-Yank of them was
workin' like mad to see how much he couldn't
miss.
"An' jes as I got the soap lathered good in
my hair, off she goes. Great guns, man on
the fawcet, this is awful! Succor! Kamerad!
There's dirt on me yet — beaucoup layers of it
— an' Lifebuoy in me eyes ! She's comin' on
again? Um-well, that's better. We're to soap
up now, savin' water, eh? That leaves me a
lather ahead — me bein' already soaped.
"Sufferin' bobcats, my eye! The other one
now! I'm growin' wilder every bubble. * * *
Ah, THERE she comes again! Good old water!
What! She ain't dyin' down? She's fineesh?
Sanctum mazookum — and some bird just asked
me if I liked the army —
"Who's got me towel? I'll DO it — the Chap-
lain will have another ceremony — that's it in
the mud on the floor? !!!??()?? !!%DamnI
Run for it an' get out of the cold an' rain?
Man, what care I if it pluieves all over me."
Caesar Once Held Guard Mount in
tHe «Sc[uare "We Used at
Pont-a-Mousson
To the old stone walls about the Place de St. Antoine our manner of
guard mount must have seemed but another chapter in the evolution of such
military ceremonies. For we are told that even before the days of Caesar that
site was used as a military parade ground by ancient tribes.
After the Romans captured Gaul a great amphitheatre was built in the
Place de St. Antoine and military fetes there were common. In the course
of time the buildings shattered away and the place became a market square
and was used as such until the Franco-Prussian war.
During that struggle the Prussians occupied Pont-a-Mousson and the
little square was once more the scene of military ceremonies.
If legends hold good our guard mount was on the same spot where many
struggles took place between the warring tribes of that vicinity long before
there was a France, and the history of recent events in Pont-a-Mousson shows
that ours was the fifth army that held guard mounts there during the last
five years.
— 45
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Brest
Authorities differ on the origin of the name
"Brest" but the most likely conjecture seems
that the name originates from a certain king of
Brittany named Bristock. He was a cruel
monarch of the fourth century. The oldest
authentic document in which the city of Brest
is chronicled is found in a chronicle of Nantes
bearing the date 856, where Solomon, the king
of the Britains, is spoken of having died in a
city which is called Brest.
Whatever the origin of its name the city
wasn't as bad as we had heard it was. Uncle
Sam, as the Twentieth Century Alladin, had
wrought a magic military city from a dismal
swamp in almost the time it takes to tell about
it. "Chow" there was better and more plenti-
ful than any we had previously encountered
in the army. Pontanezen, as the camp was
called, wasn't half bad — save for all night de-
tails and double quick inspections. The old
329th came through with flying colors, how-
ever, and the last we saw of the much discussed
city of Brest was from a naval lighter, from
whose decks we looked back at the band play-
ing "Good-bye, Boys, I'm Through," and said
"Righto."
THe Calls THat Come O'er THe
Tent-Tops Ringing
1 used to lie on my cot o' nights and list to the calls come ringing
Over the tent-tops, echoing on — what a host of memories bringing!
Now 'twas Tattoo with twinkling trills, loaned by the skylark, perhaps;
Then in the stillness, dreamily sad, the lingering notes of Taps.
Taps of the endless Arabian Nights, out under fathomless skies —
Taps of the numbing, deathless refrain o' er the grave w^here some Buddy now lies.
Taps o' the night-stand and Taps o' the Camp, and Taps o' the Little Lost Towns,
Where nothing is left but a scar on the earth — bleak ruins where all Nature frowns.
And Tattoo, that musical sprite of a call! rich in fluttering notes —
That remind you of nothing so much as a bird that sings and sighs as he floats.
Tattoo — a warning that quiet is due — heralding Night supreme;
Tattoo, the flighty, yet gently sublime and sweet overture to a dream.
O calls that come o'er the tent-tops a-ringing, ripp'ling the Pool of Night!
Trumpeting promise that Peace will remain forever enthroned with the Right —
Keep wafting your notes through the echoes of Time — e'en to the Great Final Call
When herald and requiem — Tattoo and Taps — shall gently bring rest to us all.
SGT. WM. R. MELTON,
Battery B.
46 —
The 17. S. I^eviatban In Her War Faint
As a BocHe Souvenir tHe Leviathan
Tops tHe List
Leviathan means "Monster of the Sea".
She's all of that, being the largest ship now
operating on the water.
She is 954 feet long, 100 feet beam, and,
when leaving New York draws 4 1 feet 1 0
inches of water. Place her on Fifth Avenue
and she would spread from 42nd Street across
45th Street. Stand her on end alongside the
Woolworth Building and she would overtop
that colossus of the sky more than 50 feet.
She weighs 69,000 tons; more than twice the
displacement of the world's largest dread-
naught.
She stows 8,800 tons of coal; and consumes
1 1,1 10 tons on a trip, thereby requiring 3,310
tons abroad so she can have 1 000 tons in re-
serve. Running at the speed she is capable
of (around 23 knots), she would burn be-
tween 900 and 1 000 tons daily. Her con-
sumption at the rate we traveled (around 20),
is 816 tons eastbound and 720 tons west-
bound, Welsh coal making the latter saving.
She has 46 boilers, 8 horizontal turbine en-
gines (four forward and four aft — one set for
backing and one for going ahead) and four
propeller shafts. The two outer shafts are
250 feet long and the two inner ones 300 feet
long; they are all 21 inches in diameter. The
couplers (connecting drive shafts to propeller
shafts) weigh 27 tons each. The shafts aver-
age lYl turns per minute per knot. The pro-
peller blades are 7 feet long; fourteen feet
from tip to tip. Her engineering department
requires 12 officers and 950 men. Her com-
missary department requires 7 officers and 350
men.
Her larder carries enough supplies to com-
pare with ten battleships and one supply ship.
She took on over 2,000,000 net pounds of
provisions before starting over after us — repre-
senting such trifles as 220,000 pounds of fresh
beef, 45,000 pounds of ham, 95,000 pounds
of navy beans, 150,000 pounds of Irish spuds,
100,000 pounds of apples, 45,000 pounds of
evaporated milk, 1 75,000 pounds of sugar,
15,000 pounds of assorted cake, 18,000
dozens of eggs, 30,000 pounds of coffee, etc.,
etc. She once made a trip over, left 80,000
pounds of provisions at Liverpool and re-
turned without reprovisioning — and could
have gone ten days more. She has 35,000
cubic feet of cold storage forward and 30,-
000 aft. All perishable stuff — save 35,000
pounds of spuds — is kept in cold storage. Her
best provisioning record is three days and a
half.
Her messing proposition represents the big-
gest feeding task ever undertaken in the his-
tory of the world. Up until the time we broke
the record — with Battery B, 329 F. A. on the
job — her best feeding record was around 10,-
000 men in 70 minutes. Our boys helped them
to shoot through over 1 1,000 men in 80 min-
utes — or approximately one man to every
half second. The general mess on our trip
represented 13,926 men, crew and troops.
There were 14,416 souls on board. Inciden-
tally, our men won official commendation on
the way they handled the mess, and the 329th
as a whole was praised by all the navy offi-
cers as the cleanest, snappiest outfit that ever
struck the big boat.
It is interesting to note that the general
scheme of messing — with E Deck as Ap-
proach, D as Distribution and Exit, etc. ; and
with the twelve rows of "chow vats" feeding
twenty-four lines at once, is an elaboration
of a bygone, rough system of feeding landing
forces of sailors at Guantanamo (Cuba) where
it was the custom to land the various ship bat-
talions for small arms practice. The original
equipment was a very limited one, namely a
— 47 —
mess table at the foot of each company street
and four syrup barrels filled with water to
wash the mess gear. From this crude idea was
built up the system on the Leviathan which
holds the world's record for feeding the larg-
est number of men in shortest period of time.
(We might add that if they keep up they'll
have another world's record for good "eats,"
too.)
Some idea of the cost of meals on board
may be gained from the figures on our trip:
March 30th it cost $9,800 to feed all hands;
March 29th, $6,500, down to $5,300 on
March 26th. The ovens turn out 4,000 two-
pound loaves a day and 3,500 pies in a bak-
ing. Meals are prepared six hours ahead of
time and reheated in the serving station steam
vats. Around 2, 1 00 gallons of coffee are used
each meal.
There were originally seven separate and
distinct complete galleys (kitchens) on the
ship, counting two Jewish kitchens designed for
Kosher cooking, for immigrants. These were
all ripped out and consolidated into one im-
mense galley — where there are 47 steam ket-
tles for cooking, 3 vegetable cookers holding
three barrels of spuds each at a time, three
electric potato peelers, power masher, etc.
There were four different dining rooms origi-
nally, not including the one used as our offi-
cers mess which was operated as the Ritz-Carl-
ton Restaurant. The place where our troops
messed was the first class dining room.
The ship was the latest and last word in
luxurious travel across the sea. There was a
large ball room where we found the sick-bay,
a fully equipped library, two fully equipped
gymnasiums, a swimming pool with Turkish
bath and electric ray machines, two smoking
rooms, two lounging rooms, a beautifully fur-
nished room for bridge players, and suite,
known as the kaiser's suite, that cost some-
thing like 10,000 bucks to bunk in. A copy
of the ship's manifest showed over $80,000
worth of wines in the ship — some haul for the
customs officials! The stripping of the ship was
estimated at close on to $1,000,000 in furni-
ture, linens, silverware, etc. But it took more
money than that to fix her up as a transport.
In all the troop spaces, for instance (espe-
cially on E Deck) were beautifully fitted out
rooms with expensive furniture and finishings.
The decks run from A to M.
She had more than enough lifeboats and
rafts to handle all the men on board. On her
first trip as a U. S. transport Wall Street bet
1 00 to 1 against her safe return. She was at-
tacked twice by submarines — once on Decora-
tion Day going into Brest and two days later
coming out. When the British transport Jus-
TICIAN was sunk in a running twenty-four-hour
fight with six subs, the Germans thought they
had the Leviathan and put on a premature
celebration in Hunland. The Justician was an-
other three-stacker and had similar camou-
flage.
The Leviathan's camouflage was the best
ever camoufed, they claim. It was designed
to give the enemy a wrong impression as to
her course. Had she been torpedoed her
"double skin" — she is the only ship with two
hides — would have held her up for some time.
Her wireless is the finest and strongest afloat —
she can buzz some 2,200 miles. She has an
iceberg alarm, regulated by water temperature,
and a submarine detector operated electric-
ally. Another electric alarm flashes if by any
case the wrong engine maneuver is made.
She has six ice machines, and her refrigera-
tion is done by the circulating brine, sealed
tube system. Six evaporators on board are ca-
pable of distilling 250 tons (67,250 gallons)
of water per day. Her string of dynamos look
a block long and are capable of turning out
enough juice in a day to last the city of Ho-
boken a week. She has 76,000 square feet of
floor space on D Deck alone. Her bridge is
8 7 feet above the water. She carries eight six-
inch guns.
Altogether she's some craft, nest pas?
And, oh yes, up until the armistice was
signed she had carried 100,000 Yanks over.
Twenty Leviathans could handle the whole
A. E. F. tout suite. We were on her thirteenth
westbound voyage, but no ill-luck crept
aboard. We left Brest about sundown
Wednesday, March 26th, and breezed in abso-
lutely on schedule at 1 1 a. m. the next Tues-
day. Think of a floating city such as this is,
running ON THE DOT over the restless Atlantic!
Our CKampiori Rumorist
Speaking of rumors — what starts them, any-
way? Where do they all come from? Some-
body with a lively imagination must be behind
the Moves We Never Take. Else where does
the truck driver who has a brother who has
a pal who drives a side-car for an H. Q. man
who "is in a position to know" get all his in-
formation? If the Men Higher Up don't talk
— and we never caught them at it red-handed
— somebody else must. Rumor, like any
other on-rushing current, must have a source.
Where is it? Who is it? We don't know.
BUI Hnlme, H. Q. Co.
But we have a man in the
329th we will back against
the A. E. F. as a rumorist
of parts.
He's no Baron Munchau-
sen. He would probably
think Ananias was the name
of some embarkation camp.
He just likes to see "how
FAR dat RUMAH will go," and
he could make a Jew whose
store was burning down
— 48-
without insurance, believe that the blaze was
only a mirage or vice versa. It's a gift, same
as his ability to take wireless faster than the
man who invented it.
You've g^uessed who he is by now, so we'll
drag him out of the mess line for a formal in-
troduction. Reader, meet Bill Hulme — Old
Bill — with the eloquent finger tips and the
aforementioned ability.
Bill got his start back in the old days with
the Free Press, where he used to absorb the
Great Unlimited that floods in over an A. P.
trunk line. He got impetus to his career when
Headquarters Company grabbed him as the
best operator that ever tickled a ticker. Doubt-
less he got inspiration from the tell-tale air
after that. Anyhow he never let things get to
a stage of utter ennui with us.
Came a lull in things to talk about. Bill sent
out a few thought waves. Did our waiting
hours drag, Bill buzzed them alive with some-
thing worth talking over — if spun of the stuff
that dreams are made of. Good Old Bill —
the army would have been a duller grind with-
out him!
If Rumors Were True, THe Following
Is Real Dope
We are going to Germany and Russia, where
we will board the Mauretania and Leviathan
at Brest and Bordeaux, St. Nazaire and Liver-
pool. We will draw 150 horses, no horses,
motor trucks, 1,000 horses, 50 horses, bicycles
and finally 1 0 1 horses, with which we will turn
in our pieces at Belleville, Nancy, Toul and go
into Germany. We will also take our 75's
back to the States. The
same ^th the pistols, ^^^^-^-—mm^^m^m^^
We will turn them in
here (Pont-a-Mous-
son), take them back
to the States and turn
them in when we are
mustered out and be
allowed to keep them
when we get out of the
army.
Preparatory to the
grand parade in New
York, Washington, D.
C, and Detroit, on the
same day and the same
hour — said hour and
day will be nine, eleven
and two o'clock on
Christmas Day, Janu-
ary 15 th, February
22nd, Decoration Day
and the Fourth of July.
We are to rig out in ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
the following raiment
and insignia — all of it: whipcord uniforms,
the suits we are now wearing, serge uniforms,
mackinaws, short pinch-backs, long pinch-
backs, no overcoats, .leather jerkins, overseas
caps, campaign hats and helmets, silk sox,
woolen sox and cotton sox, spiral putties, cuff
leggings, lace leggings and leather putties, also
one pair each of russet zind trench shoes and
rubber boots.
Upon the right and left shoulder there will
be a red and white "2" and the numeral "2"
that should be on our left shoulder will be re-
moved. The red CD will be sewed on the
There is nothing like a rumor just
to set the sans afire:
They receive it,
And believe it.
Does it matter who's the liar?
No, it doesn't. For as often as we
hear of something new.
Though it's doubted,
It is shouted
By our gossip-loving crew.
and.
collar, left sleeve, over the heart and 'round
behind, above and below the belt. It will
be the one color, red, simply designed and
bordered with blue, white and green.
We will demobilize at Camp Mills and Camp
Custer, and, upon demobilization, will be given
six months' pay, three months' pay, one
month's pay and receive $1 00 from the people
of Wayne County.
— ^^— i^-^^— ^-^'— While these para-
doxical events trans-
pire we will remain in
France until all the
others of the A. E. F.
are gone and then go
home with the first
300,000. After that it
will become known
that Germany is not
yet licked and we w^ill
stay here to finish the
job.
As regards to our
movements before sail-
ing, which will be next
week and next year,
we will mobilize at
Pont - a - Mousson, Ri-
maucourt and Toul;
scatter to all parts of
France and start to-
^^^_^_^_^^^_^ morrow for the base
ports and Luxembourg,
where we will be a salvage outfit, be made
into a doughboy unit, do M.P. duty and par-
ade in Paris.
Everything possible is being done to get us
into the Army of Occupation and sail for home
at once. All the officers are signing "Yes" to
the questionnaire regarding their ■willingness to
remain in the military service and scrambling
over each other to get out of the army.
But ours is the most splendid regiment in
the army, and its personnel is the finest set
of Americans in the world. This last is no
rumor! — Frank Kunert of "A" Battery, with
apologies to "The Highwayman."
Conversation is a morsel,
with greedy appetite,
How we chew it.
As we brew it.
Be it daytime, be it night.
Back in the States it started and
continues o'er the foam,
And we'll swally
It, by golly.
When we join the Soldiers' Home!
A-h-h-h men-n !
— Stars and Stripes.
— 49 —
ARTILLERY
BAR >
BACK DOOR
, TO THE REAR
.^^y'^^ MARCH"
AND HOW PAR OUT DIDVOU
SAV THAT Sou LIVFD?
'A
^>^
^v.
^^'^ FfNDER
"improvement fire"
"full PACUiV I
FULL PACK
— 50-
Dictionary
Terms Even NoaH Doesn't Know
Barrage Technically a sort o' curtain of shells —
but in this case something you never lay down with-
out careful study.
F. A. Field Artillery when we are Fatigue Asso-
ciation %vhen we've got Custer all policed up and are
looking for new worlds to conquer — with shovel,
broom or currycomb.
Police Duty — Something far removed from the or-
dinary bluecoat's duties. Men used to it might come
nearer to landing a job on a metropolitan "Clean-
Up Squad." For, while on it, you're liable to have
to clean up anything. Usually associated with the
old gag, "How's business? Picking up>" Policing
up around camp is one of the 329tVs neatest accom-
plishments.
K. P. — Kitchen police (usually falls on the same
Sunday your pass does). As a K. P. you police up,
clean up and eat up what the other boys leave.
S. P. — Stable police (used to last for a week in
Custer; or longer than most city men will ever stay
on a farm again). Admits you without fee to mem-
bership in the Humane Society and increases your
love of the genus equus.
Mess — Old Army term. Itispired, no doubt, by
the sight of some.
Slum Cross between stew, a futurist landscape
painting and utter culinary disgust.
Brig — The Cooler (you're bound to cool down
there) — the Old Cooties' Home — the Guardhouse.
Tuition free, ordinarily, though some prefer to con-
tribute to The Fund For Fatigued Bankrolls upon en-
tering. Note to Home Folks: Many of the letters
you got from there ^vere wrritten by the Guard, not
the Guarded.
Cootie The Ford among troublesome insects. Fre-
quently goes Over The Top of your head without
Preparation, as we say in Artillery. Officially recog-
nized by the U. S. Government to the extent of sev-
eral Mobile Bath Units. Application is quite moving,
at that.
O. D. — The color of the blouses and pants we
read about. Also the Officer of the Day the man
who keeps the Sergeant of the Guard awake all
night looking for an inspection.
Shavetail — Term originally applied to our friend
the mule. Latterly used to denote a Second Lieu-
tenant.
Dovetail Misapplied term, because he is a peculiar
species left hanging between a commission and an
enlisted man's rank. Some call them Third Lieu-
tenants. Anyway, they ■went to officers' school and
qualified only to have that mean Kaiser quit.
B. C. Battery Commander. Sometimes known
privately as the Old Man, but generally saluted when
you're looking for a favor.
B. C. Detail Composed of men who are too wise
to work.
Goldbrick May be used as an adjective or a noun.
When applied to a job it means one void of any ex-
ertion except signing the pay-roll. Applied to indi-
viduals it is a little more harsh and means a cam-
ouflaged loafer. Derivation is obvious.
(So Many) Rounds Sweeping Has nothing to do
with the common and garden variety of broom. You
do it to keep your shells from lighting all in on*
place, according to the papers.
Dud — A shell that fails to explode. A false alarm-
Also the name of the. 328 F. A. Year Book.
Up (So Much) — Down (So Much) — Not misplaced
barroom language. Has to do with the .
Corrector The little instrument you set fuses with
so they won't be instrumental in a .
Premature Burst — When a shell explodes before
you want it to going or coming. Also when the
eggs you've paid steen francs a dozen for crack
open in the water you're soft-boiling them in.
Stripes — Rank insignias that make noncoms cocky-
Two and you're in a class with Napoleon ("Wasn't
he once the Little Corporal?"). Three and you can
butt into the mess line any place. Some places. The
fatal rags that turn some good fellows into ugly
bosses.
Noncom — Short for the goats between given au-
thority and assumed. Corp. Davis of Battery A de-
fines the species as Non-concerned Officers. He's
right when it comes to manual labor.
Top Kick — Top because he's boss (straw variety)
and kick because we frequently long to kick him as
First Sergeant.
Oui! Oui! — Answer to all remarks directed to you
in French. Warning! Don't use it, however, wrhen
confronted with the statement "Tout American — mil-
lionaires!"
Fineesh — Answer given by all French storekeep-
ers in response to a request for anything — to eat.
Never appropriate at a banquet.
"Bull" — Used to mean idle language. Now "Tlie
Makin's" as doled out by Uncle Sam in the name of
smoking tobacco. No use carrying it home for Uncle
Bill's pipe you won't even get a draw.
Chow^ — Eats, regular or National Army. The
edibles (?), prepared or merely canned, that taught
us how to cultivate messkit dexterity.
Sick Call Many call but few get the desired an-
swer. When we know we ought to get "Quarters"
and get marked "Duty," with pills every three hours.
Plaster Not what falls on you from the ceiling
of a shelled French billet — ^but the fine that knocks
your (prospective) bankroll flat.
Buck Private The tough and pack-hardened foun-
dation upon which our army is built. Common but
by no means ordinary soldier. The man who can
never be convinced that a Noncom's lot isn't hap-
pier than his.
A. W. O. L. — Translated literally means Absent
Without Leave. But translated into court martial
terms it means a "plaster" at least.
S. O. L. Two chaplains once got to arguing what
this meant and when they asked a Buck Private to
decide for them he got arrested for indecent dis-
closure. So we'll say that it might mean Sweet On
Lizzie or something indefinite like that.
Reading — Used to mean what it says. Now re-
fers to the exciting and sometimes not futile indoor
sport of looking over your undershirt for cooties.
You start at the bottom of a seam and read up and
vice versa, etc., etc., punctuating %vith appropriate
remarks.
— 51 —
Retrospection and Foresig'Ht
Backward, turn backward, O Time in thy spin,
Give me serge trousers to cover my shin.
* Cut out of Fashion the spiral puttee.
Blot from my memory fatigue and K. P.
Give me again my spring mattress and bed.
Make me forget all the beans I've been fed.
Give me a surplus of pork chops and cake,
Ice cream and pudding, with gravy and steak.
Censor forever the bacon, and "ban"
Bully beef as food for a real fighting man.
Bring back the scenes that have passed in a swirl.
Filled with fond hopes and a beautiful girl.
No roll call, no guard mount, my spirit ran high.
And my thoughts seemed to flutter like a flashy necktie.
Give me, O Time, my old office once more.
With my "Top Kick" as mopper, to mop up the floor.
Give me my Captain as chief office boy,
Then the rest of my life will be fluent with joy. — M. F. W.
•52 —
Biog'raphies
and
Org'ariizatioii
Histories
The 329tl\ Field Artillery
Born in the fragfrance of Freedom's bloom,
Led by Democracy's growing might,
Yearning to give its youthful strength
To vanquish a foe who scorned the right.
Steady it grew in mass and skill.
Learning the war art well and fine,
Willing to sacrifice life and limb.
It matched its strength 'gainst the German line.
Dauntless and daring, it forged ahead.
Scorning the dangers of gas and shell.
Manning the pieces, it gave the foe
A rolling barrage for a German Hell.
Then Victory's form rose out of the din.
And the battle-scarred banner of Justice, long furled.
Unfolded its beauty yet damped with blood
To the Peace-loving eyes of a war-worn world.
M. F. WETZEL, Sgt. 1st CI. MD., U. S. Army.
— 54 —
Our Commanding' Officer
Colonel Tillman O. Campbell
Colonel Tillman O. Campbell, commanding
officer of the Three Hundred and Twenty-
ninth Field Artillery, began his military career
in the army of the United States Volunteers as
a first sergeant in a company of infantry mobil-
ized in his native state of Arkansas.
Previous to his first honorable discharge in
February of 1 899, he was promoted from first
sergeant to sergeant major, and to the rank of
second lieutenant, U. S. V. In July of 1 900
Colonel Campbell re-enlisted in the same or-
ganization as a first lieutenant, serving until
April of 1901 as battalion adjutant and regi-
mental commissary officer of the Thirty-third
Infantry, U. S. V.
In May of 1901 he enlisted in the regular
army of the United States as a second lieuten-
ant in the artillery corps, and was assigned to
duty in the Coast Artillery as a commissary
officer. After seven months of service in this
capacity he was transferred to the Field Ar-
tillery, where he was commissioned a first lieu-
tenant in the second battery.
Until November of 1905 Colonel Campbell
remained with the Field Artillerv. He was
returned to service in the Coast Artillery, re-
ceiving a commission as captain in January of
1907. In the same year, and as a captain he
was returned, this time with permanent as-
signment to the Field Artillery.
Between 1907 and 1917 Colonel Camp-
bell served with the Second, Third and Sixth
Artillery in the commissary and quartermaster
departments. It was during this period of
service that he was advanced to the rank of
major.
When the Three Hundred and Twenty-ninth
Field Artillery was organized Colonel Camp-
bell was chosen to command the regiment.
He was commissioned a colonel on August
5th, 1917, and assigned to and joined the
regiment on September 1 2th, 1917, remaining
in command until its demobilization at Camp
Custer in April, 1919.
Of the twenty years of service seen by
Colonel Campbell five were spent on foreign
soil. In September of 1 899 he was ordered
with his company to the Philippines, where he
remained on active duty until his recall a year
later. Again, ten years later, he was ordered
to the scene of action in the Philippines and
remained until September of 1914.
From the time the 329th sailed to France,
Colonel Campbell remained always with his
regiment. Through the training period in
French camps and to the front he was always
with the men. Be it said in behalf of the lead-
ership that we had, from comment by those
competent to judge, our regiment when
weighed in the balance was never found want-
ing.
— 55 —
Major I^otHrop
Some are born officers,
some achieve commissions
and some have commis-
sions thrust upon them.
That was true in this
man's army, anyway, and
Major George V. N.
Lothrop was an officer of
the first variety — he was
(and is) a "born leader"
of men. To say that the
regiment would have fol-
lowed him to hell in the
toughest STRAFING that
Heine ever laid down is
not a high-sounding state-
ment but a fact.
We loved this quiet,
clean-cut master of artil-
lery. Although he never
fig:ured on it, he had the
range and deflection for
a direct hit on our affec-
tions. We pulled the lan-
yard on him ourselves.
Back in the pioneer
days, when the Major (he
was Captain Lothrop
then) first took the report
of Lieutenant Carnahan
as Acting Top Kick and
bade us snap to attention,
w^e opined, "That man's
a SOLDIER ! You can see
it and sort o' feel it." As
time wore on, this first im-
pression never faded but
strengthened into the
aforementioned affection,
universally. Here was our
idea of a soldier, a gentle-
man and a scholar.
It was Major Lothrop
who gave us a talk when
we were altogether in old
Barracks 399 and said:
"Our country, for a
number of years, has been
getting more and more a
Major Geo. V. N. Lothrop
Captain Moore tells one on Major Lothrop
that U considered altogether too good to keep.
It seems that the major ■went rowing one day
— just by way of tribute to his old rowing ex-
perience with the Princeton crew and the De-
troit Boat Club, and incidentally to take a young
lady fishing and eventually dropped anchor
somewhere in the neighborhood of Custer. He
was surprised and deeply chagrined, upon
starting back, that he could make no progress
whatsoever. Bringing all his skill and muscle
into play, he rowed and rowed and rowed, but
progressed not a metre. About the time he
^vas becoming convinced that he was losing his
punch as an oarsman, he happened to think of
the anchor. It was still overboard.
hodge-podge of nationali-
ties. This army is going to change all that;
to show you that you are all Americans.
Why, I know two men right up the line from
here, one worth two millions, the other stony
broke. The one who hasn't any money is go-
ing to learn that the rich one isn't any piker,
and vice versa. You are going to be better
men when you go back home. This v^ar is
going to bind you together. This nation is
going to be unified after the war into the
greatest, best nation the world has ever seen."
It was this same Major who told the papers
when we got back that there "never was any-
thing like the way our
boys put their shoulders
to the wheel and carried
on in dust or mud, and
without show or com-
plaint."
We ask you, could we
help being strong for a
man like that?
He gave the Other Fel-
low credit.
That was his style.
Came as natural to him as
figuring firing data. He
had a good word for every
worthy project that came
up. His share in making
this book possible was a
noteworthy one. He was
a booster without a band.
Speaking biographical-
ly, George V. N. Lothrop
was born about 36 years
ago in Detroit. He grad-
uated from Princeton,
where he distinguished
himself scholastically and
on the crew. He went to
Fort Sheridan at the first
call for officers (leaving
the sort of business they
write novels about) and
qualified for a captaincy
right off the bat.
He w^as ranking officer
at the time all the skele-
ton organizations were
housed under one roof
and later commanding
officer of Headquarters
Company. In November,
1917, he went to Fort Sill
and came back a major.
He was a student of
everything — the time, the
job and the men. And
he took to artillery like
a mud hen to the Missis-
sippi. If there was any-
body who knew more
about the American and British pieces — and
the way to tame them — than he did, you'd find
him out looking for that individual. Same
thing applied to the French 75's and methods
on the other side. He was a genuine learner,
and as such he made an admirable teacher.
Absolutely fearless under fire, he went out
to help some linemen fix a wire one night when
things were hotter than they'd ever been — and
recommended them for a decoration, later on.
He's all man — and we wouldn't want to
forget him in after years, even if we could.
— 56
Our Adjutant
"O Captain! Our Captain!
The goal, at last, is won!
The ship has weathered ev'ry rack.
The job we got is done "
"Well, Captain, as a man who had a lion's
share in bringing the Good Ship 329 safe into
port, what have you got to say for yourself?"
"Nothing."
"You could have answered that in more
words."
"Right. But words are not my business."
"Very well; we'll leave that to the 'Barrage'
staff. How do you plead to the charges of
being the best known and most popular officer
in the regiment?"
"Not guilty."
"The court of General Opinion will decide
that — a court made up of de-chevroned non-
coms, brig regulars, scared sergeants of the
guard, possible and impossible orderlies and
all the rest who like you in spite of hell. That's
all — except you might leave an account of
your military activities before you light the
pipe again."
Name — Captain O. Brady — O. for Oscar.
Born — Yes.
Occupation — Soldier. (Insert by the ed-
itor to the effect that they don't make 'em any
better, any snappier, or of any more soldierly
bearing. At guard-mount it makes you
straighten your shoulders to watch him.)
Previous Condition of Servitude — (We'll
shoot it just as we got it and then try to Bos-
well it a little.) 3 years 9 days 60th Co. C. A.
C. and 14th Batt'ry F. A. Dec. 28, 1899, to
Jan. 6, 1903. Discharged as Stable Sergeant.
Character excellent. 3 years, 1 8 th Battery
F. A.— Jan. 28, 1903, to Jan. 2 7, 1906. Dis-
charged as I St Sergeant. Character excellent.
3 years 18th Batt'rv and Batt'ry "B," 2nd
F. A. Jan. 28, 1906, to Jan 27, 1909. Dis-
charged as 1 st Sergeant. Character excellent.
3 years Batt'rv "B," 2nd F. A. Jan. 28, 1909,
to Jan. 27, 1912. Discharged as 1st Sergeant.
Character excellent. 3 years B^tteries "B "
and "C." 2nd F. A. Jan. 28. 1912, to Jan.
27, 1915. Discharged as 1st Sergeant. Charac-
ter excellent. 2 years, 3 months, 1 5 days Bat-
teries "C," 2nd F. A., and "B," 4th F. A.
Discharged as 1 st Sergeant, July 13, 1 9 1 7, to
accept commission as temporary 2nd Lieuten-
ant of Field Artillery. Character excellent. Ap-
pointed Captain of Field Artillery, August,
1917. On 1st of October, made Adjutant of
329th F. A.
That's all. (Only we might add parenthet-
ically, that any man who can be a top sergeant
for 1 5 years and stay a human being is "there"
more wavs than one.)
He's an old artillery man, all right; he's
been through the mill — several of them — in
the course of that twenty years' continuous
service. He served in Cuba, ■with the Army of
Cuban Pacification; he was in the Philippines
during the Insurrection Period — part of the
time in the fire-eating Moro country, where he
helped Colonel Scott gain immortality.
Captain Brady was in the engagement of
Laksawana Usop and also took part in the
Cotta of Pang-Pang; another get-' em-' fore-
Captain Oscar Brady
they-get-you encounter of the Insurrection.
His outfit used the light Vickers-Maxim Moun-
tain Gun. A man named Hassan was the
Villa among the Filipinos and he caused a lot
of trouble before Uncle Sam disposed of him.
Later, under General Pershing, he went into
Mexico after Villa himself.
Now for a word about the man as we size
him up. We have always had profoundest
admiration for the man who could handle dig-
nity as though it didn't bother him, and lay it
aside on the right occasion. Such a man must
either be a genius or a royal good fellow. Cap-
tain O. Brady is "considable of both," as our
cullud neighbor would put it.
Witness the time the cows came to guard-
mount — back in the old round square at Pont-
a-Mousson. Dignity fell that day but came up
standing at parade rest. Picture the solemn
occasion. The Captain, in his immemorial
manner, had gone through the ceremony he
always loved best in super-military fashion.
Things were going smoothly. No false moves
had marred the scene. Everything was ready
for "Sound OFF!" as only the Captain can give
it. He gave it. And straightway with the
music of the band there 'rose a fearsome med-
ley! A Frenchman had driven his herd of
cows upon the scene of action. Squarely be-
— 57 —
mih^mJ-.
tween the guard and the adjutant they strag-
gled, mooing inelegantly the while. Curiously
they nosed the O. D.'s Sam Browne as he
stood at fancy parade rest. Lumberingly they
passed in review.
Did the Captain falter?
Did he explode? He did
not. He held his post
with a look as though to
say, "Brother in blue, it's
lucky a cere-
mony like this
has no meaning
in your life.
You'd owe
Uncle Sam —
from now on."
Even when
the band coun-
termarched di-
rectly into some
bovine coun-
tenances and
halted, he stuck
it out. And when the cows moved on, so did
guard-mount, just as though nothing had hap-
pened. Quite a feat to carry martial dignity
through so trying a test! No? Try it.
Of the humor and human-ness of this man
a volume could be written. A record of the
"hot ones" he pulled in court would convulse
A^^
f_J_
a continent. (Sample this page.) Here let's
recall the wit of him, the infinite patience and
understanding of him under a mask of military
severity. His utter impartiality; his wealth of
army experience. Up through
the ranks he came to a point
where the making or breaking of
a good many young Americans
was in his hands. He never fell
down for Uncle Sam or for The
Boys. He
could "loos-
n
en up'
and
read a
New
Year's
joke
about
him-
STRICTLY FORMAL!?? Pont-^-Mouis.m Jan 1619
self with as
much relish
as any; he
could — and
would —
answer any
question i n
the spirit it
w^ a s asked.
He could
even sing a tuneless solo at a party and get
away with it — could Captain O. Brady. Which
moves us to warble:
"You'll never miss the Army,
But remember when you're old:
This hard-boiled SEEMING soldier
With the heart inside of gold."
(^e SPICE / STKIFE ^
or '
Bon Mots a h Brad]
NOT GUILTY, SIR-
YOUR HONOR
NOT A DOUBT OF IT, BUCK
-YOUR PAY knows!
Not the least famous of our 329th institu-
tions was the Summary Court Martial as con-
ducted, spiced and "financed" by Captain
Oscar Brady. It gained its fame, not so much
from the plasters* there applied, the stripes*
there removed, or the unerring justice there
administered — but from the BON MOTS, as the
French call 'em pulled by our solemn adju-
tant as judge. For cracking a good one with-
out cracking a smile he was — and is — without
a peer. Our only regret is that a stenographer
could not have policed up at least a few of his
court quips as they fell :
There's the time a private was up for having
been A. W. O. L.* in Nancy. "Have a good
time?" queried the Captain. "No-o, sir," said
the Buck. "Too bad," said the Captain, "you
won't have another chance for one." With
which reflection the private agreed when he
looked over the guardhouse that night.
Another A. W. O. L., a corporal, came up
cautiously to meet his fate. "What've you got
to say for yourself?" boomed the Captain.
"Well, sir, I'm the 'oldest' corporal in the
regiment."
Captain Brady: "No you're not, you're the
newest private."
A certain Buck w^as up for insubordination,
or whatever they call it when you sass a non-
com. The Captain had the floor: "The maxi-
mum penalty for disobedience of a non-com-
missioned officer is three months' imprison-
ment and two months' pay." (Business of
private registering deep sorrow.) "I'll just
split the difference with you and fine you $10
— (Business of relief replacing sorrow.) — a
month for three months." (Mostly sorrow.)
Charges were preferred against a husky buck
— 58 —
private for refusal to pick up a horse's feet.
(Necessary evil in France to keep the chevaux
from working over the map. ) He advised the
Captain that he refused because he was afraid
of being kicked by the horse.
"Did he ever kick you before?"
"No, sir."
"Ever kick anybody else?"
"Not that I know of, sir."
"Humph! You might at least have tried to
pick 'em up." The Captain leaned back and
slowly twirled his mustache, first on one side
then on the other. Mr. Buck trembled anx-
iously. "Well, now, that'll cost you $40 — $10
a foot — damn good thing it wasn't a centi-
pede!"
A private who had spent some time in the
hospital was hailed into court for something
or other at his battery. TTie Captain welcomed
him with: "You must like to be IN some-
where. You didn't like it at the hospital — ,"
"No. sir."
"And you don't like it at your battery — ?"
"No, sir."
Violent twitches on the judicial mustache.
"I see. Well, we've got a place all fixed up
for you." (Turning to the guard.) "Take him
to the guardhouse! Maybe he'll like it there."
One man was up for having imbibed too
much "white lightnin' " otherwise known as
"Four, Point Seven," and called coney-yack
by parleyvooing Yankees.
"Guilty or not guilty?" broke the fearsome
silence.
Sir, " said the bibulous one soberly, "I was
drunk."
"You could have answered that in two
words!" And the mustache twirled for the
government.
There's a difference between being A. W.
O. L. in the States and over in France, accord-
ing to the Captain. He believes in Overseas
Rates. After inquiring of a certain run-a-way
whether he had a good time, etc., he leaned
back, puffed two or three times on his trusty
briar and declared: "Well, that would cost
you $80 in the States — $10 Over Here." And
the private went wondering how many francs
it takes to make ten dollars.
*See our artillery dictionary, page 5 1 .
Cadman of tHe Croix de Guerre
Ever know that the good old 329th came
home with a genuine Croix de Guerre man in
its midst? You probably didn't if you waited
for LE CAPITAINE to advise you of it himself.
He's so doggone modest we couldn't even
catch him wearing his decoration. Somebody
tipped us off, however, and we tracked Cap-
tain Cadman to his lair in Camp D'Auvours
and got the dope — all he'd give us, anyway.
You'll probably recall that Captain Paul F.
Cadman joined us early in January, 1919, as
2nd Battalion Adjutant. Nobody knew much
about him, except that he handled French like
a native and must have seen considerable
service — beaucoup, as it turned out. For he
started in
way back
in March,
1917, with
the French
army. He
served with
them for 8
months in
the T. M. U.
1 33 (heavy
artillery) and
saw action
during that
time at
Verdun on
through
Soissons. He
held the
rank of ASPI-
C»pt. Pan! P. Cadman RANT.
On November 1 , 1917, Uncle Sam claimed
him and he joined the 2nd Division, U. S. A.,
immediately as a 2nd Lieutenant. He was up
front with the 2nd from February until the
last of October, 1 9 ! 8 ; from the Troyon Sector
to Voisdevelleau to the American attack south
of Soissons, and from St. Mihel (he was in the
famous St. Mihel drive) on to the Meuse-Ar-
gonne offensive. He was made a First Lieu-
tenant in February, 1918; and a Captain in
July, taking added responsibilities as opera-
tions officer on the staff. Verily he had been
through the mill when Fritzie decided enough
is too much.
Here is a translation of the order Marshall
Petain put through in December, awarding the
celebrated Cross of War to Captain Cadman:
General Headquarters of
The French Armies of the East
Staff
Order No. 12.569 "D" (Extract)
Upon the approval of the General, Commander-in-
Chief of the American Expeditionary Forces in
France, the Marshal of France, Commander-in-Chief
of the French Armies of the East, cites to the Order
of the Army Corps,
Captain Paul F. Cadman, of the 2nd Artillery Brigade:
"During the attack on Blanc-Mount and during the
days following he obtained important information on
the situation of the enemy, and evidenced a remark-
able devotion. He served as an example to all those
around him."
At General Headquarters, 26 December, 1918,
The Marshal of France,
Commander-in-Chief of the French Armies of the East
PETAIN
59 —
M^a
ur
A certain writer on psycho-analysis is au-
thority for the statement that "the world is a
richer, better and happier place for its men
of girth." Chaplain Sorensen isn't a Fat 'Un
— he only weighs 220 ringside — but the rest
of the quotation belongs to him as much as
to any big, good-natured chap that ever added
his quota to the world's aggregate of joy. He
has worked unceasingly to make the army a
better and a happier place for us fellows to
be; and, like all workers for the spiritual and
intellectual side, he has builded better than he
knew.
We can remember the first time we met this
big, blond Viking from out Montana way. It
was on Christmas eve, 1 9 1 7 — our first in the
army. Winter was abroad in the land ; but
things were fairly cozy in the lower room of
the annex as we gathered around the furnace
to wait for "the New Chaplain." We looked
for a bearded patriarch or some sort of^
"preacher guy," but he didn't come. Instead
an athletic, wholesome sort of chap stamped
in, shaking the snow from his mackinaw^.
"Glad to know you, boys," and our "same
to you" has carried all the way to hell and
back.
Chaplain Sorensen was once an advertising
and display man in the Windy City. But he
always favored the direct appeal more than
the indirect, so he threw away his ad. books
one day and took up theological work instead
— something he could put his whole soul into.
After finishing his course at the Theological
Seminary of Grandview^ College, Des Moines,
he hiked for the wilds of Montana and did
school missionary work out there. The bas-
ketball and football he had played in college
days made broncho busting compatible with
msiking the rounds gently.
We neglected to state that the Chaplain was
Chaplain-
born in Grayling, Michigan, a Wolverine town
that has been the scene of many military activi-
ties. Maybe that's where he got his hunch
for army work. Anyway, he applied for a
commission as Chaplain in Omaha in the fall
of 1917 and, after examination, was ordered
to report to Custer immediately. We have
always been glad that he had jitney fare
enough to get him out as far as the 329th.
His w^ork vsfith this regiment has been an
inspiration to us all. He isn't the conventional
"Holy Joe." He doesn't stand on ceremony.
He keeps pegging along, rain or shine, and the
things he finds to do — always thinking of
somebody else — are a caution. He has al-
ways held Bible classes, no matter how^ dis-
couraging the circumstances ; in Cbetquidan he
held services every Sunday in the "Y" ; in
Pont-a-Mousson he put the old shell-shocked
church back into shape and held services there.
On the boat coming over he dug up enter-
tainment somehow. Afterwards he sat up into
the wee sma' hours of many nights helping
censor the 6,000 letters that were written on
shipboard. At Messac, when we w^ere liter-
ally Robinson Crusoed for smokes, etc., he got
hold of a motorcycle side-car from the Na-
tional Lutheran Commission and carried can-
teen supplies to all the batteries. Want a
book to read? Some writing paper? Pen
and ink, etc.? See Chaplain Sorensen. Want
seven dozen packages of helmets censored?
See the Chaplain. Want to write a tender
love note to your best girl, and don't want
the "Lute" to read it? See the Chaplain.
We'll never forget his recreation room at
Pont-a-Mousson — it was "Open House" to
everybody. Wherever he vrent he got set
somehow and brightened the corner vs^here we
were.
The Chaplain's Own Story
Army regulations specify that the duties of
the Chaplain shall be to hold religious wor-
ship, to take full charge of all educational
work, visit hospitals and perform such other
duties as his office will require.
Regulations are very brief in stating what
— 60
HIS WOKK
his duties are, but this does not in the least
indicate that there is but little to do. It is, of
course, very natural to consider the service of
religious teaching as one of the foremost duties
of a chaplain, and unless this be made a pri-
mary duty one is apt to conclude that there
be a serious lacking in his service. When one
accepts the responsibility of administering to
the spiritual needs of men he is confronted
with one of the greatest tasks with which one
can be entrusted, and the performance of this
duty requires great tact, especially in the army
where so many men are grouped together —
men of many minds and different ideas.
In the early days at Camp Custer 1 was
greatly assisted in my work by the Y. M. C. A.
religious secretary, Mr. J. Gardner, of Hut No.
1269. Mr. Gardner had already made some
efforts in establishing Bible classes in the regi-
ment and two small groups ■were already upon
a good working basis, so in accordance with
this plan 1 made my first talk in the recreation
room in Battery A when nearly half the bat-
tery attended. I continued meeting small
groups from each battery either in their rec-
reation room or mess hall until I had can-
vassed the entire regiment, and was very favor-
ably impressed with the spirit and co-opera-
tion accorded me. The regiment has always
given splendid co-operation when called upon
to do so.
The Y. M. C. A. Hut No. 1269 served as
our Temple of Worship. It also served as a
music hall, theatre, writing room, club and
home. It was very natural indeed that when
a soldier sought this hut for so many of his
needs that when the Sabbath came he would
also come there and worship together with his
comrades. It became our custom to consider
the Sunday morning service as the Chaplain's
service, and attendance was voluntary. Sun-
day evening was set aside for song service.
At this time the hut was usually crowded to
the utmost, the singing was ■wonderful and full
of inspiration. A soldier audience is critical.
The soldier soon displays his like or dislike
in the matter of a speaker, and many were
the times when a speaker attempting to be
popular found his audience leaving the room.
The soldier does not care for a faker, and least
of all for one who attempts to disguise his
teaching under some different subject about
the Master. When the soldier worships he
comes for help and inspiration, and only when
he finds this presented straight from the shoul-
der does he really care to listen. Always
when men speak of God men will listen and
think.
After the ideal conditions of Camp Custer
were left behind on July 1 8th, we met with
other environments which were not nearly so
comfortable. At Camp Mills our religious ac-
tivities ■were all held in one of the big tents
supplied by the Y. M. C. A. It is noteworthy
that at this camp the largest attendance ever
had at a communion service was witnessed.
Several baptisms were performed at this place.
. The Chaplain now began to realize that the
men placed more confidence in him and also
that they had more need of him than during
the days at Custer. While on board ship our
services were held under great difficulty owing
to space, but in spite of this and wind and
rain, men gathered to hear the words of the
Gospel read to them and to join in singing
hymns of praise. It was a most impressive
scene to gaze into the upturned faces as they
listened. Amid the quaint surroundings of
Messac, France, the Sunday morning services
were held in a field surrounded by a hedge,
with the band to furnish music, a bully beef
box serving as a pulpit. Even the peasants
gathered around, attracted, of course, by the
music and songs. This was our first service
in France. At Camp Coetquidan we were
given better conditions for our ■worship, the
Y. M. C. A. having a very large auditorium,
well fitted for such use. The Chaplain was
61 —
given many opportunities at this point to come
into very close personal contact with the men
of the regiment, for there were many needs
to be met, questions to be answ^ered, favors
to be done. After leaving Camp Coetquidan,
we were forced to adjust ourselves to varying
conditions which at most times were not at all
ideal, but we made good use of whatever space
was accorded us. In Rimaucourt and Humber-
ville a hostelry served as a recreation room and
chapel, a harness room as office. As we drew
nearer the front the battalions separated and
the batteries were more scattered. A Sunday
service wzis held in Bouillionville in a Red
Cross canteen. The following Sunday, Nov.
1 0th, the ruined church which formerly had
been used by the Germans was now serving
our need. It is worth mentioning that at this
service we were all forced to stand, the Ger-
mans having removed all benches, all other
furnishings of the church, and in various ways
used them in decorating the graves of their
dead, who were buried in the German ceme-
tery on the side of a hill near the edge of the
village. The wooden bench ends were con-
verted into headboards, the remainder of the
bench being used for a similar purpose ; but
as the end of the benches made the most elab-
orate headboard they were used especially for
those who had been honored with an iron
cross. Evidently the Germans had no inten-
tion of ever leaving this area, for all manner
of means were used in beautifying their billets
and making them comfortable. The Chap-
lain's writing room and postoflflce in the rear
room of the regimental hearquarters was for-
merly used by the Germans for the same pur-
pose, as the sign, "Soldatenheim," over the
door, indicated.
From Bouillionville our regiment moved to
Pont-a-Mousson, where another ruined church
served as our house of worship. We found
the church in a bad state of ruin, but cleaned
away the debris and established ourselves
there. Here we held our first Sunday morn-
ing service after the armistice had been signed.
From then on the regular services w^ere con-
tinued during our stay at Pont-a-Mousson. The
most unique service held here was that on
Christmas eve. At a time when all nature
seemed most lonesome and forlorn came the
wonderful Christmas with all its great prep-
aration for the celebration of good cheer.
Through the regiment there was activity every-
where. Christmas came, bringing with it the
first snowfall. This added greatly to the
Christmas spirit. Early in the evening after
darkness had closed in on the ruined village
the old church bells rang out the old, old mes-
sage of peace on earth, good will to men.
They had been silent for four years, and the
message they now rang seemed to be more
significant than ever. Soon the soldiers began
to gather, and as they entered the ruined edi-
fice each was given a lighted candle by which
light they could read from the hymn books.
The church had been decorated with ever-
greens. Trees with lighted candles on either
side of the improvised pulpit, everything add-
ing to the Christmas joy. There was a very
jubilant note in the songs of the evening, and
good cheer filled every man's heart. The spirit
of Christmas alw^ays comes with a pow^er that
reaches all, and makes all ■want to be more
like Him who came to the world that night
ages long ago.
When all is said and done there will have
been many a soldier who has come through
this affair stronger in the faith in his God. He
will also have learned to be of help to the
weaker brother, and in this service will meet
with praise from Him who rules us all.
• CHAPLAIN SORENSEN.
Interior of Church at Font-a-Mousson
— 62 —
Keeping' tKe Letter Job Smiling
Cpl. Q. W.
Cromer
It is tradition that public humorists are
often private crabs. Undertakers often make
model husbands. Ordinarily, by the same
token, the man who passes out mail to palpi-
tating thousands does it with a grouch and a
sigh. A yellow letter, torn and
dim, a letter is to him — and
nothing more.
Our mail or-
derlies drew a
different inspi-
ration from
their letter job,
somehow;
at least put a
different spirit
into it. They
liked to dive in
and haul out
mail for The
Boy» — and thereby hangs a
tale.
You know, this letter-writ-
ing and receiving proposition is one of the
most remarkable servants of mankind. It
has grown to be more than that: it is a
power and an all-pervading influence. Far
off in Longhorn, Texas, a gray-haired little
lady works paunfully on a letter to her
son in France. He's somewhere Over There
— he couldn't say just where — but this will
reach him and tell him that mother's with
him of course. If only he'd write oftener
himself! But the letter he gets brings cheer
and comfort. His slow reply brings solace in
spite of its bleak contents. Up in Illinois a
tobacco worker puts her address in a can of
Velvet and reads heroic modesty into the blunt
O. D. reply. Down in Mobile a colored lassie
thrills at her Sambo's account of capturing the
kaiser. Letters! Letters! If the home folks
knew how^ much theirs have meant to us! If
we knew how welcome "Soldiers' Mail" was
to them — well, just another digression before
wre get back to the boys w^ho handled the 329th
mail.
A wreck of a town — 4,000 miles from any-
where, as far as we're concerned. Billets in
an old schoolhouse. Night has fallen, leaving
the place a black, shadow-ridden hull. A door
opens and slams in the silence. "Mail!" comes
the call that none can resist. There is a rush
and a scramble. Hobnails hustle along hoary
halls. Voices echo "Mail! Mail!" A light
appears. Someone holds the lantern while
we crowd around the man with the mail. It
is a never-to-be-forgotten picture. The flick-
ering light, the eager faces. There is a hum
of anticipation, a thrill of expectancy. Then
silence — a hush for the first name to be called.
"Here!" booms out the jubilant answer. The
crowd laughs, and the greatest of all army
Cpl. H. J.
7UU0&
games is on. Maybe you' win that night;
maybe you lose, but there's always the con-
solation, "Somewhere there's beaucoup mail
for me."
And now for the tale we left hanging. Cor-
porals George W. Cromer
and H. J. Fillion have been
our mail dis-
pensers since
Custer was a
corn field. By
the 22nd of
September,
1917, they were
established i n
regular P. O.
fashion, and
since then have
collected and
distributed mail
in everything from a depot to
a damp abri.
They set up in the rain at
Fliery Woods. A boche aviator fired on
Cromer while he was bicycling our mail be-
tween Bouillionville and Pannes. Fillion is
said to have caught a German "dud" in a mail
sack.
In the course of our travels they sorted un-
limited bundles; figured out countless impos-
sible addresses; stamped an average of 3,500
outgoing letters a week in France; redirected
and rehandled much transfer mail; grew gray
hairs trying to find the right A. P. O. to draw
mail from; and answered ten million different
questions — or rather the same one ten million
times, "Is there any mail for me?" — with nary
a kick or a grumble.
Of course, said work was just their plain
duty as we look at it in the army. As sol-
diers, they wouldn't want any bouquets for
duty done and we don't propose to hand them
any on that score. But we like the spirit they
brought to their work. They took cheer for
others out of mail bags and made friends with
their own steady cheerfulness.
High, low. Jack and the General looked all
alike to them when it came to courtesy. You
might haunt their office with no other purpose
than to wish for mail. But you were never
met with a grouch or a slam. You might
bother them to distraction inquiring after that
letter which hadn't had time to come. But
if they felt any resentments they kept them
to themselves.
In other words, they kept smiling and made
us all feel better for it. Which, in our opinion,
is a real achievement on any job in the army,
let alone on one that everybody considers
his own particular business.
— 63 —
A-Servin' of His Majesty, King Clean
At ease, gentle
reader, while we
pass a well-known
character in review.
You won't have to
get up as he passes
— as the only bars
he has control of are
those on the guard-
house windows. Just
take it from us, he's
a regular fellow, is
Gilbert D. Crook,
senior color sergeant of the regiment.
Crook is above all things a diplomat. He
had to be on the provost sergeant's work that
fell his w^ay. It was
*Gil, get this,
Gil, get that;
And Gilbert, how's the wood?
And how much would
A pris'ner cut
If pris'ners would cut wood?
(*Poetic license, using the name he answers to at
Home Reveilles.)
Which might indicate that he figured in —
and on — the wood proposition at home and
abroad. He did. And that wasn't all. He
handled the manifold duties of provost ser-
geant with system and dispatch. In other
words, he was featured in all the clean-ups our
regiment knew — from the old days of making
the artillery section at Custer look like an ad.
for Spotless Town to the more recent days of
general police duty everywhere. Figuratively
speaking, Gil handled everything from gar-
bage to hard-boiled prisoners and came out
on top — with all parties satisfied. We've said
he was a diplomat.
Which may also explain his knack for han-
dling men — prisoners, to be more specific —
without Bolshevism or loud language. Men
who w^ouldn't work for anything or G. H. Q.
went along w^ith Crook and did their bit. Lots
of regular fellows get in the guardhouse,
y'know, and he got results by treating them
all "regular." He could never play Simon
Legree: he would be too apt to hand Uncle
Tom a broom — and a smile — and pass on to
see if Topsy had the kitchen policed up.
It may have struck you as strange that we
referred to Crook as senior color sergeant of
the regiment and then w^ent on to recount his
police activities. Well, it did us, too, until
we learned that a color sergeant may be called
on for provost duty any time he is not busy
tending the colors. Incessant moving Over
There kept our colors furled until the last lap
of our journey, almost; hence his devotion to
duty of another sort.
Had we been stationed in a garrison for
any length of time, the reverent care that is
given our national standard and regimental
standard would have been his chief concern.
He would have had to lower the flag each night
at retreat — never letting the folds touch the
ground. He would have carried the colors
at reviews, as he did several times at Custer.
He would have commanded the guard that
escorts the Starry Banner on prescribed occa-
sions. He would have belonged to his title.
THe Ol' Campaign Hat
"No more against a blazing sky where hard-pressed Fokkers flee.
No more where charging heroes dies, my peaked top you'll see.
The trade mark of the Johnnie's gone, but, just between us two,
I'll bet you I come back again when this damn war is through."
— Stars and Stripes.
64-
I^ATTERY y\
A day of great event in Detroit was Wednes-
day, September 5 th, 1917. The old Armory,
which for years had seen nothing but circuit
concerts, political speeches and the like, had
come back to its own. Here were assembled
men included in the first 5 per cent of De-
troit's quota of "Selects," who were to take
part in the world's greatest struggle for de-
mocracy.
There were no eloquent speeches made on
this morning. The men were reported in a
very businesslike manner by officers from each
local board. They were lined up one behind
the other like soldiers and marched over to
Al Smith's Lunch, where they had their first
feed on Uncle Sam. From there they marched
back to the Armorv and south to Jefferson,
down Jefferson to Woodward and up Wood-
ward to Elizabeth Street. There they boarded
street cars marked "Depot.
When they arrived at the Michigan Central
Station it was raining. They filed into the
coaches, where they were greeted with lunch
boxes furnished by the National League for
Women's Service, Missouri Meerschaums
(otherwise known as corncobs), and matches
distributed by certain Detroit tobacco dis-
tributors.
As the train approached Battle Creek it
picked up speed and finally stopped at the
foot of a young mountain some three miles
beyond the town where there was scarcely a
building in sight. It was here that these brave
men faced their first great task as soldiers. It
was here, at this great battle of Custer Hill,
that pen-pushers and blacksmiths, clerks and
mechanics, butchers and preachers became
comrades in service.
Finally the hilltop was captured. They
stopped to rest for a moment. As they sat
there on their upturned suit cases, wiping the
perspiration from their noble brows, they
could see in the distance what aopeared to be
an outpost of the Chicago stock yards with
their numerous pens built for sesiregation pur-
poses. They resumed the march in the direc-
tion of the stock yards. As they drew nearer
they could see a sign above the main entrance,
the first letter was "R" : R-E-C — Receiving
Station.
They were ushered into these little square
pens, sixteen men to the pen, where they
awaited assignment to the various organiza-
tions. Upon receiving their little "E" and "A'
cards from an officer who sat at a desk near
an aisle, sixteen of the men passed on through
the receiving station, where they met one of
their new "Bosses" who, as we know, was
none other than Lieut. Chester A. Gorham,
Battery A, 329th Field Artillery.
These sixteen men, the nucleus of our pres-
ent organization, were conducted to building
No. 399, where they found Ivan W. Bailey,
who soon afterwards was made acting first ser-
geant, preparing them a supper of bacon, bread
and coffee. After supper they were each given
an empty bedsack and marched over to the
railroad tracks to get straw with which to fill
them. It never rained harder in the annals
of history than it did as they started back to
the barracks with those bedsacks.
But here we must forego the description of
events which occurred within the next few
days ; days of carrying water and w^ood and
putting up stoves; days when all the men were
sick in quarters as the result of their first shot
in the arm, and Lieut. Casey called them all
out for close order drill; rainy days when they
sat on their bunks and listened to lectures by
Maj. Lothrup, Capt. Moore, Lieut. Mcintosh,
Lieut. Hayes or Lieut. Gorham, on every sub-
ject from the Articles of War to War Risk
Insurance; days of preparation for the coming
of new men, and the day that these sixteen
brave pioneers carried 1 64 iron beds over from
the officers' quarters and set them up in order-
ly rows for the new men, only to discover
that they had taken Porter Brothers' cots by
mistake and had to carry them all back and
get Q. M. C. cots instead; and then the day,
September 1 8th, when they moved over to
Building 395.
We must pass by the account of all those
and other memorable events, for our attention
65 —
is drawn to the original battery roster, which
appeared on the bulletin board just outside
the orderly room door. The roster contained
the following names:
Renner, Leo F. Ashbaugh, Charles G.
Miller, Myron Salley, Thomas R.
Reazin, Thomas H. McCarty, William A.
Davis, Harry D. Faulkner, Fay E.
Wassell, Charles S. Baldwell, Burton A.
Burke, William H. Brant, John
Melton, Wm. R. Misner, Fred
Monroe, Walter J. Muldowney, Robert T.
The possessors of the first six names weath-
ered all the storms through which the battery
passed and remained the center about which
the affairs of the organization pivoted. One
look at the present roster will help to show
the efficiency with which these first six men
are credited and the esteem with which they
are regarded. First Sergeant Leo F. Renner
has held his present rank since October 26th,
1917, and is known throughout the regi-
ment not only as a soldier, but as one
of the most faithful soldiers to the service
in the regiment. Miller, Reazin, Wassell,
Davis and Burke have been big factors
in the "backbone" of the battery ever
since its organization. Of the remaining nine
men, one is a captain, three are lieutenants,
two are "third lieutenants," having graduated
from Saumur training school after reaching
France, and the whereabouts and status of the
remaining three are unknown at the present
writing.
On September 2 1 st, 1917, eighty recruits
were assigned to the battery and the organiza-
tion began to assume a more military form.
Their initiation into army life was highly amus-
ing to the original sixteen, and they came in
for a great many jibes as all rookies do.
Shortly after this second draft of men
reached Custer the regimental canteen was or-
ganized under command of Lieut. Ward W.
Stratton. The smallest man in camp, Pvt.
Paul F. ("Shorty") Maine, mascot of Battery
A, was installed behind the ice cream counter
and soon became the most popular of all en-
tertainers in camp due to his exceptionally big
voice for such a little lad. Then, too, lots
of the ice cream melted and Shorty gained
more friends.
Just at noontime one day the lieutenant had
an important message to deliver to the colonel
and Shorty was appointed messenger. The
lieutenant informed Shorty that he would find
the commanding officer in the officers' mess
hall, and, realizing that there would be a great
many officers there, asked Shorty if he was
sure he knew how to come to "attention" upon
going into the presence of officers. Shorty did
his best to hide his indignation and simply an-
swered, "Why, certainly, sir."
Five minutes later Shorty entered the offi-
cers' mess hall without knocking and, with the
voice of a general, called out "Attention!"
Army regulations say that when a superior
officer enters a mess hall or a place where
officers or enlisted men are at mess the first
man who notices him will command "Atten-
tion," whereupon the men at mess will simply
stop eating and sit up straight.
As all the officers leaped to their feet and
Major JuniQs S. Moore
stood at "Attention " various thoughts flashed
through their minds. Surely President Wilson
or General Pershing or Major-General Ken-
nedy had arrived; so they all stood there at
"attention," dazed and wondering what was
coming next. At last the colonel turned his
head a little, then a little farther, and saw not
President Wilson, General Pershing, nor yet
Major-General Kennedy, but Private Paul F.
Maine, Battery A, 329th Field Artillery.
"Who is that man?" asked the colonel after
his surprise had subsided.
"Why, er-er, sir, er — he's one of my pri-
vates, sir," stammered Captain Moore, and the
captain proceeded forthwith to reprimand
Shorty, but was interrupted by hearty laugh-
ter from the colonel, followed by roars from
the rpst of the officers, and so Shorty escaped.
After the laughter had died away the com-
manding officer was heard to remark, "I have
been in the service for more than twenty years
and this is the first time 1 ever heard of an
enlisted man bringing a colonel to his feet."
On November I st the battery moved out
to the far end of camp to Building No. I 294
for the reason that there were stables under
construction out there and the outfit expected
to get horses soon.
And then we got back to the regular routine
of work, not forgetting the coal pile and the
strict inspections with the labor in preparation
67 —
for them. This usually happened on Friday
afternoons and evenings, when we washed the
windows, scrubbed shelves, walls, floors, oiled
the floors, painted the radiators, hung up our
overcoats and slickers with the buttons out-
ward and displayed our equipment in the pre-
Flrat Iiient. Sobert B. Mcintosh
scribed manner on the bunks with our old serv-
ice hats on the pillows facing the foot. After
that we prepared ourselves for personal in-
spection. We were usually ready before 8:30,
which was the time set by the "top cutter" for
the hour of inspection, whereupon he informed
us that he had set the time earlier than ordered
so that we would surely be ready. At 9:30
Capt. Moore or Lieut. Mcintosh would come
in with the news that they had set the time
one hour ahead for the same reason. The
official order for inspection was 10:30, but the
colonel was usually an hour late and then sent
the major. So we stood around until 1 I :30,
half afraid to bend for fear of putting a wrinkle
in our blouses and not daring to read the
morning paper lest it could not be hidden be-
fore the arrival of the inspectors.
Prior to December 1 4th the men spent their
time in jumping around and over boxes and
sticks at certain commands given chiefly by
Lieut. Mead, and this was called simulated gun
drill, so the men would know what to do when
the real guns arrived. The efforts of the or-
ganization w^ere further devoted to infantry
drill, lectures and general organizing, guard
duty and army paper w^ork, necessitated by
the assigning and transferring of men into and
out of the battery. On November I st thirty-
one men were transferred to Camp McArthur,
Waco, Texas, and on November 20th twenty-
seven new men were assigned to the battery.
Who will forget that guard duty and coal pile
and stables when the thermometer read 22 be-,
low zero ! There were fourteen posts, and all
one had to do was to see that the Y. M. C. A.
building or the stables or the officers' quar-
ters didn't blow away or get snowed under
and in the meantime walk around the terrain
with a stick in his hand to show that he vras
protecting the regiment as it slept.
By Christmas the dining room of our bar-
racks had been painted a light blue color and,
with the special Christmas decorations, was a
very cheery sight to look upon, especially so
after calling to mind some of the places we
dined after landing in sunny France.
The battery was very fortunate in regard
to passes for the Christmas holidays and one- |
fourth of the men at a time were given three "
days' leave until every one desiring such a pass
got one. It was about this time that one of
Corp. Davis' most famous requests for a pass
was submitted. It read like this:
"I. Corp. Harry D. Davis desires a pass
from noon Saturday to reveille Tuesday, with
permission to visit Detroit.
"2. His reason for wanting this pass is that
he wants to visit an old friend whom he has
not seen for six years and besides he owes me
six dollars.
"3. Applicant is not married."
If pen-pushers and stenographers or men
who had spent their civil days indoors thought
that they had been severely abused up until
December 1 4th they had another guess coming,
for on this date the battery received eighty-
two horses and on January 25th, 1918, they
got seventy-nine more. Two more bugle calls
were added to the already long drill schedule.
They were "Stables" and "Water Call." Very
few of America's most famous thoroughbred
blue ribbon race horses received as much
Corp. Manson at Custer trying to drill some
squads:
"Right face, left face, about face, as you
^vere. (1 don't give a damn if I hold the job
or not.) Halt!"
grooming and attention as did these ferocious,
man-eating goat-getters.
Pvt. Amulla M. Mukerji soon learned that
some horses "are not polite." The men re-
ceived their first lesson in trench digging when
a drainage trench one-half foot wide and one
and one-half feet deep was "caused to be dug"
behind each row of heel posts in the stables.
The trenches were "caused to be filled in
again" the next day after the inspector had
visited the stables. The first day of equitation
revealed the fact that there were some horses
that preferred to exercise without a rider.
Stable Sergeant William Rotes gave Corporal
Melick permission to ride a certain little gray.
Corporal Melick mounted his steed at Stable
No. 1 and got at Stable No. 2, and as he re-
called the incident he said, "It struck me
funny." The speed with which these head-
shy, panicky, biting, balking, kicking creatures
were converted into useful, gentle and almost
educated artillery horses can hardly be appre-
ciated. In early spring all the horses were
— 68
clipped, and Brig. -Gen. Preston was heard to
remark that, even in his old regular army out-
fit, he had never seen a finer lot of artillery
horses. There were two or three horses out
of the entire 161 that were never conquered,
however. The worst accident occurred when
a big black horse that was tied to the snubbing
post so it could be harnessed, swung and
kicked Sgt. Curry A. Bennett squarely in the
face, crushing his nose, breaking his jaw and
We sincerely regret that the picture of Firit
Lieut. Charles A. Hayes was lost in transit.
almost resulting in the loss of one eye. Ben-
nett managed to be released from the hospital
just in time to accompany the battery over-
seas.
Several division reviews were staged at
Custer. The first one occurred on October 9th
before the horses arrived and Battery A was
seen in the guise of a doughboy outfit. It was
a bitter cold day, and after standing for two
or three hours the 329th was ready to pass in
review. The old regimental band tried to get
by the reviewing officer without playing, but
the latter called out, "What's the matter with
that band?" The answer was, "It's frozen up,
sir." "It doesn't make a bit of differ-
ence, 1 want music and 1 want it quick!" The
tuba, the piccolo and the drums attempted to
play "The Campbells Are Coming," but the
tuba froze up tight, and the result was a cross
between an oriental dance at a country fair
and the "Spirit of '76."
In the second division review the battery
was mounted. Cheer after cheer went up from
the onlookers as old Battery A swung from a
column of fours into a perfect battery front.
Then, when the guidon was suddenly dipped
in salute, Sgt. Renner's little black horse be-
came frightened and the fun started. In its
fright the horse crowded into the line and
broke through it. There ensued a brief
struggle between rider and horse in the rear
of the line which proved to be almost a
broncho-busting bee, but man soon conquered
beast and Sgt. Renner regained his position in
line without loss of honor.
During the long winter months following
there were approximately two horses for each
man in the battery. The snow was too deep
for much dismounted drill and the most of the
time was spent in the care and training of the
horses. Sgt. Sheedy, Sgt. Rotes, Corps.
Proper and Korte and Saddler Knight broke
in most of the vicious horses. On January
1 1 th there was a fierce snowstorm and cold
spell. The hydrant in the corral froze up and
the men were forced to carry water for those
161 horses from Battery D's corral. When-
ever the weather permitted, the battery was
taken out for mounted drill. These maneu-
vers gave Capt. Moore the chance to pull some
of his most famous expressions, such as, "Look
at that other outfit, scattered all the way from
hell to breakfast," and " , what's
wrong with the army now?" and "Hey, that
man on the blue horse (Pvt. Wills), close up!"
On January 1 4th Capt. Moore left the bat-
tery for one month's study at the School of
Fire at Fort Sill, and Lieut. Mcintosh assumed
command during his absence. On March 29th
First Lieut. Harold W. Mead left the battery
for Fort Sill and upon his return a month later
was transferred to headquarters company.
Lieut. William R. Carrico joined the battery
on March 29th and has been with the organ-
ization ever since.
It was during the month of February that
Pvt. Ben Stark sustained severe injuries on the
smoke bomb range when a can of powder ex-
ploded in his face. It is our sad duty to here
record the death of Colin C. Frazer, our mess
sergeant, w^ho died at the base hospital on
April 1 7th, 1918, after a very short illness.
Sgt. Frazer was well liked by everyone and,
needless to say, his loss was keenly felt. The
hand of death struck again and Clyde H.
Muchler died at the base hospital on May 9th.
The battery marched to the Grand Trunk Sta-
tion in Battle Creek, where Bugler Orbanski
sounded "Taps" over the remains.
On May 5 th Sgts. Thomas R. Salley, Charles
C. Ashbaugh, William A. McCarty, Gordon
A. Gale, Fred R. Cooper, Arthur T. O'Neal,
Enoch A. Fro j en and Lynn W. Fry, having
successfully completed the course at the O. T.
S., were transferred to Camp Jackson, South
Carolina. Corporals Harold W. Fish, George
A. Belyea and Pvt. George W. Jaap were the
Ueut. Wm. B. Carrico
next candidates for the O. T. S. and left the
battery on May 14th.
■ With the approach of spring came the del-
uge. The snow melted and the old corral be-
came one grand mudhole. One stable was
flooded and the water from Battery B's corral
flowed into the corral of Battery A, and so
on from place to place until it was a difficult
matter to navigate. Our men engineered unt'l
69 —
they were able to divert the stream, which,
incidentally, chose a course directly into the
corral of Battery D.
This is what they call "passing the buck"
in the army. With the approach of fair
weather, green grass and the song birds, formal
guard mounts became the vogue. It was a
curious thing to see the effect of this new
spring life upon the men. They began to take
a lively interest in their appearance, and in
guard mounts the man who appeared the best
Lieut. Gorham in loud command when battery
was marching in column of twos at Pont-a-
Mousson: "Squads left, march!"
was chosen for the nosition of orderly for the
regimental commander for the day, thus avoid-
ing the monotonous duty of walking post.
Corporal Fraleigh, then a bashful buck, never
went on guard dutv but what he was chosen as
orderly and he holds this record to this day.
Whether it is because of the fact that the bat-
tery possessed a special reserve outfit of clothes
and garrison shoes with which to dress up the
orderly candidate or whether it is due to
"Eddie" Brake's pretty blushes has not yet
been decided upon as the reason for Battery
A's winning all honors for eleven consecutive
days as guard mount.
There was much joy and general optimism
throughout the battery on June 28th, for
eighty-five new rookies arrived. There was
not so much fatigue duty, kitchen police, stable
police and common labor for the older men,
and more passes were approved than hereto-
fore, thus greatly reducing the monotony of
camp life. But gloom fell upon us once more
when the battery was placed under quarantine,
first it was for measles, then for spinal menin-
gitis, then smallpox, and it seemed to have be-
come quite a habit for those medics to invent
some form of disease for the sole purpose of
preventing any possible excuse for the "S. O.
L." battery going on pass. For six long,
weary weeks the monotony of segregated exist-
ence weighed upon our young lives, although
it was somewhat reduced by road marches and
maneuvers, the first road march lasting for two
days. We put up our first field picket line and
slept in pup tents for the first time during a
steady, drizzling rain. The heavy British 75's
were used at that time and the six-horse teams
had all they could do to haul the guns
through the heavy sand and over the hilly
country.
Then there was the firing on the range and
the rivalry between the batteries helped to
make things interesting. The drill schedule
was lengthened as to time, inspections were
held on Sunday mornings instead of Satur-
days, and every effort was made to bring the
division up to the highest standard of effi-
ciency. Passes were granted for the Fourth
of July and visitors were allowed to enter
camp, but about the 1 0th of July the entire
camp was placed under strict quarantine, and
it was generally known that we would soon be
on our way to Berlin.
Half blinded with tears of regret and sigh-
ing great sighs beause of our terrible loss, -we
half led, half dragged our sad-eyed horses to
the camp remount station, where they were
turned in never to be seen again. Then to
drow^n our sorrow we hurried back and busied
ourselves packing harness into the substantial
boxes which our very able mechanics had built
and stenciled with the famous "CD" and A. E.
F., via N. Y.
Those were the days of the good old blue
barracks bags and on Tuesday morning, July
1 6th, we packed them and loaded them onto
trucks. Then we rolled our blanket rolls into
our haversacks and marched down to the other
end of camp, where we boarded trains — real
American coaches, with plush seats, plenty of
light and room and everything. The train
pulled out at I I :58 a. m. and Battery A was
"on the way."
After spending most of the afternoon of
July I 7th on a Waukegan ferry boat, we were
finally landed at Long Island Station, where
we boarded trains for Mineola. From there
we marched to Camp Mills, a distance of
three and one-half miles, arriving there at 8:00
p. m. in a down-pouring rain. It was pitch
dark and we flopped into the first tents we
came to, provided they were not sunk too
deeply into the mud. The next day the sun
came out hot, and during the remaining thir-
teen days we spent in camp dust became a
chief annoyance and interfered not in the least
with the training schedule, which included foot
drill, signalling, setting up exercises, lectures,
etc. After a series of daily inspections, passes
to New York and neighboring cities were given
out quite liberally, so that most everyone had
the opportunity of seeing the world's great-
est city.
Spiral puttees and overseas caps were
issued, all barracks bags were turned in, and
no small degree of science was required to
A Certain Buck: "If anyone hollers 'Police!'
in civil life, I'll get my fingers stepped on."
include all worldly possessions in the one
specified roll to be carried on one's back. A
long column of fullv equipped soldiers
emerged from a huge cloud of dust at about
noon July 30th and Camp Mills was a thing
of the past. At 6:16 the same day Battery A
boarded the British transport "Maunganui,"
which left the dock at I I :30 the next morn-
ing.
After a long zig-zag course the north coast
— 70
of Ireland was sighted at 3:00 a. m. on Au-
gust 1 0th and on Tuesday morning, August
1 I th, we disembarked at Liverpool, England,
and marched to the railroad station, entraining
immediately for Southampton. Upon alight-
ing from the tiny toy English coaches about
I 1 :00 p. m., we marched through the pitch
dark cobble-paved streets of the town and on
out to the rest camp some three miles distant.
What a grand and glorious feeling it was to
wake up at 9:00 that next morning on those
Ijient. Chester A. Oorham
luxurious concrete floors, with the warm sun-
shine filtering through, and know that we could
have a few days in which to get our land legs
and limber up our aching muscles, get a bath
and do a washing. But, alas, all such hopes
were promptly shattered and at 3:00 p. m. we
were again under pack and "on the way" down
to the pier. The American S. S. Harvard left
her pier at 9:00 o'clock that night, August
1 2th, and arrived in the harbor of Le Havre
France, about 8:30 the next morning. But
owing to the tide we were unable to make a
landing until 2 :00 p. m. If all previous hikes
had been joy-killers, Sherman was mild in his
form of speech, for that five-mile stretch up
that steep hill to our second "rest camp" can-
not be described on these pages.
It was at this camp that we saw the first
German prisoners of war, with the big white
letters "P. G." painted upon their backs.
Much discussion arose as to the meaning of
these letters. At first it was asserted that they
were soldiers of the famous Prussian Guard.
One of the prisoners was attracted by the con-
versation from the other side of the dead line
and called back in excellent English, "Perfect
Gentlemen." And then the old "Prisonier de
Guerre" went his way.
The chief recollections of that "rest camp"
at Le Havre are our sore feet and lame mus-
cles, the good view of the harbor. Captain
Baxter's famous dry bath, the Blind Robin,
boiled egg and tea for chow, the British Tom-
mies and their terrible tales of the war and
their souvenirs, and last but not least, the ar-
rival of troops from Ayer, Mass., all flower-
bedecked, wearing their Stetson service hats
and led by their beloved "Pied Piper" band,
which played a lively tune all the way up that
steep, stony hill, thereby replacing half of the
men's packs with patriotic pep and good cheer.
After resting at Le Havre for twenty-two
hours we had our first experience of travel-
ing for two days "a la famous 40 Hommes 8
Cheveaux" (French military mode of travel)
which, translated, means that 36 packs with
men attached to them were fitted into 7x18
feet, square-wheeled box cars, designated for
such purpose. The men were given strict
orders against hanging their feet, arms or
heads out of the doorways for fear of tipping
the train over. "The travel directed was nec-
essary in the military service."
A descriptive account of this appears weekly
in the Pekin Chronicle of Pekin, China.
Arriving at Messac at 3:00 p. m., August
1 6th, we pitched pup tents along the banks
of the Villaine River, and it required no sharp
commands to start the boys frog-diving from
the bank into the stream, which was from 8
to 1 5 feet deep. They got into that water so
fast that some of them forgot that they had
never learned to swim, and if Pvt. Alex Rubin
had not later deserted us at Toul Sgt. "Pop"
Anson might have received a D. S. C. medal
for pulling him out of the Villaine River. The
next morning at 10:25 Battery A had pulled
stakes and was again on the march. They
passed through Messac and hiked 2.3 kilo-
meters out the country road and turned in at
an old chateau in which the entire battery was
billeted. The building was a grand old palace
some three hundred years old and was called
the Chateau du Hardaz. It was three stories
in height, built entirely of stone, and the walls
were over two feet thick. After spending the
first night in the chateau everyone was well
aware that the floors were a better quality of
stone.
There was a regular drill schedule, consist-
ing of foot drill, standing gun drill, pitching of
shelter halves and lectures on the care of
horses by Lieut. Mcintosh and Sgt. Rotes.
Much of our time was spent, however, in at-
tending threshing bees, swimming in the river
and looking at the pretty blackberries, which
grew in superabundance on every hedge a'on^
every road in that vicinity. A man from Bat-
tery C, however, looked at them too long and
it cost him $20.00 for having blue lips, so the
berries were permitted to die their natural,
evaporating death.
The same old spot along the river at Messac
was again the camping ground of the battery
during the afternoon and night of August 24th,
and the next day a march of twelve miles
under full pack was made. We reached Maure
at 10:45 a. m. and encamped there until the
— 71 —
following morning, when we rolled w^et packs,
swallowed a chunk of bacon and two pieces
of "punk" and completed the march of ten
miles to Camp Coetquidan.
Camp Coetquidan, originally built by Napo-
leon Bonaparte, was a training camp in every
sense of the w^ord. Our advance party, com-
posed of Lieut. Carrico. Mech. Pontius, who
posed for the "never-ready" people, and Corp.
McKellar had been there since August 1 4th,
attend the School of Fire, Materiel School
of the 75's and the Liaison and Telephone
School. Some of the other schools in camp
were the Machine Gun, Gas Defense, Emplace-
ments and Camouflage Schools, and the bat-
tery was well represented at each one of them.
Foremost among the new and inseparable
companions which every member of the or-
ganization acquired before the arrival of the
horses were the gas masks, which were issued
on August 30th, and the helmets, which came
into vogue on September 9th. Gas drills were
many, and each man had to employ his mask
for one hour every day, and anyone caught
without his mask at anv time while on duty
was severely dealt with by Corp. Davis or
Corp. Manson.
TT»e eleventh dav of the month had always
been considered Battery A's lucky day be-
cause of the many strange and wonderful
things which occurred on that date. We land-
ed in Liverpool on the 1 1th, for instance; so.
true to precedent, a marvelous thing happened
on the 1 I th of September. It happened
shortly after 1 1 :00 a. m. The men were all
lined up for mess. The cooks and the K. P.s
had been unusually busy and the men were
unusually hungry. As Cook McGuire shouted,
"Bring 'em on," the sergeant first in line
opened the curtain and stepped into the
kitchen. It was then that Pvt. Mullin, peering
over the heads of the sergeants in front of
him. made thp wonderful discovery; for, lo
and behold! "Shorty" was actually cutting up
real, honest-to-Jake peach pies into four pieces,
giving each man a quarter of a pie.
Soon afterwards, on September 15 th, we
drew our 75's and settled down to real gun
drill, road marches, and qualification firing.
Battery A, of course, was the first in the bri-
gade to qualify on the range, and Corp. Melick
won the 20-franc prize put up by Capt. Moore,
having annihilated by direct fire every moving
target as fast as it appeared on the range.
After a final three days of firing, as though
in real action, the organization was efficient
and Qualified for action. The remainder of
our days at Coetquidan ^vere spent in road
hikes and taking up positions for action, and
many a time we were routed out of our beds
at 3:00 a. m. to harness up and load up our
caissons with ammunition and supplies and be
on the march long before daylight in the usual
drenching rain.
For a while there was some fear of an epi-
demic of Spanish influenza in camp and a great
many of our men were sent to the hospital.
Back among the quiet pine trees, away from
the noisy drill grounds but within the camp
area, there is a little American cemetery with
a stone wall around it, and here, on October
17th and 18th, respectively. Homer Thorsby
and Leo J. Theiss were laid to rest with mili-
tary honors. They were the only members
of the organization who died in Europe.
Many notable changes in the personnel of
the organization took place while at old Coet-
quidan. Twelve corporals, viz., Beebe, Ellis,
Smith, Lagrou, Welsh, Melick. Fraleigh, Ed-
mondson, Williams, Bondy, Chall and Gal-
luser, were appointed. Corporals Ellis, Mc-
Kellar and Inlow were transferred to head-
quarters company as signal and telephone cor-
porals. Stable Sgt. Rotes and Sgt. Bennett
were reduced and transferred to Batteries F
and D, respectively, and Sgt. Sheedy appoint-
ed stable sergeant. The 3 1 0th Ammunition
Train w^as disbanded, and Privates Hebert,
Hill, Jarmev, Lippold, Lowery, McRevnolds,
Staddler, Watkins and Weber joined us on
October 16th; while from headquarters com-
pany came Privates Athers, Ockert, Dombrow-
ski and Peterson. Corp. "Pop" Ason was ap-
pointed "Ammo" sergeant, "Ted" Pontius
was made Chief Mechanic and Frank Modrok
appointed cook, "Ollie" Thorpe appointed
bugler and Sgt. Melton transferred to the
Army Officers' Training School at Saumur.
About that time someone said "Let's go"
and October 22nd found us — horses, guns and
all — on the train, twelve men and their oacks
and equipment to each box car, headed "Nach
Berlin." We passed through many fair-sized
towns, including Rennes, Laval, LeMans, Char-
tres, Versailles and Troyes, and finally de-
trained at Andelot at 3:00 p. m. on October
24th, marked two and one-half kilos, and hit
the hay at Rimaucourt. The next day we
hiked eight kilos farther to a small temporary
camp called Orquevoux. It was a pretty little
place, tucked away among the hills, and it
was the first place in France where we had
found really good drinking water, for there was
a splendid spring at the foot of a big hill and
a small creek which served as an excellent
washing place. After resting at Orquevoux
for four days w^e were again at Rimaucourt,
and from this time on did most of our travel-
ing by night.
Evidenty something went wrong in the
B. C. detail, for Lieut. Gorham was taken ill
here and had to go to the base hospital at
Rimaucourt.
Shortly after midnight we detrained at
Domgermain and were billeted in a stable
which was built in 1677. This was the first
of many such typically French billets, where
reveille is the grunt of breakfasting pigs, the
cackle of a hen, or the tickle of a rat's whiskers
as he tries to kiss your cheek or the racket
as he goes scurrying across the room in a
fright.
— 72
We were not far from Toul and the Heinies
were doing their damnedest to make a suc-
cessful air raid on the town. All through the
night bombing could be heard, and the next
day we learned that two bombs had been
dropped into Toul, killing several persons.
That afternoon we were again on the way. As
we passed through Toul the attractions of the
city were evidently too much for Privates Alex
Rubin and William Krampitz, who deserted
us there and have never since been seen.
Crunch, crunch, crunch, and Battery "A"
was putting in another ten-hour hike under full
pack in the pitch darkness of the night of Oc-
tober 31st — a weird Halloween, indeed; so
weird in fact that some of us began to wonder
just when that old pumpkin of Sleepy Hollow
fame was going to hit us on the back of the
head. Shortly before daylight we parked our
guns in an open field, found stables for the
horses and more stables for ourselves and
rolled in. The next day Battery "A" policed
up the town, of course, and continued the
march that night. We went through towns
which had been totally destroyed by shell fire,
and had been captured by the Americans in
September in the St. Mihel drive. Some time
after midnight we halted at the edge of Fliery
Woods, a part of the Argonne Forest and
shown on the French maps as the Bois de Mort
Mare (Woods of the Dead Sea). Those of us
who were not fortunate enough to get into the
two covered forage wagons or underneath
the caissons w^ere obliged to flop in the mud
in the open and use our pistols for pillows to
keep them dry. Before daylight we were
aroused and ordered to conceal our carriages
and ourselves inside the woods to avoid enemy
observation from the air. Daylight revealed
the fact that Colonel Campbell had spent a
fairly comfortable night on top of one of thir-
teen German graves. Once inside the woods
the men scattered in all directions in search
of dug-outs. The Germans had occupied the
woods for two years and had employed every
means to insure comfort as well as safety for
themselves.
Most of the dug-outs were from twenty to
thirty feet deep. Some of them had bay win-
dows extending out into the trenches to afford
plenty of daylight, although all of the dug-
outs were electrically lighted and wired for
telephones. There were comfortable arm
chairs, fancy iron stoves and cooking ranges,
running water, tiled floors and walls, and even
fancy window curtains in some of the officers'
quarters.
Fliery Woods was the scene of our explora-
tions for five days, during which time we cared
for our horses, or hopped a truck and rode
down to Fliery or Essey, or rather what was
left of those tow^ns, and got into the dough-
nut and cocoa line at the Salvation Army, Red
Cross or Y. M. C. A. tents, or laid in our deep
dug-outs at night and listened to the "G. 1.
Cans" come over. The last day of our stay,
November 4th, found us standing in the open
watching with open-mouthed wonder the
maneuvers of a Heinie air plane as he sneaked
over and set fire to our observation balloon
with machine gun incendiary shells.
That same night we marched to Bouillion-
ville, which town became our echelon while we
Battery
Billets at Font-a-Mon88on
were in action. During the confusion of billet-
ing the men and selecting stables for the
horses, our Officers and B. C. Detail were busy
getting acquainted with our gun position, ob-
servation station and communications, and the
next day we moved our guns up into position
just at the edge of Thiaucourt, which town had
been taken from the Germans in September
but was still subject to nightly shell fire intend-
ed to prevent ammunition and supplies from
going through the town to the relief of the
firing batteries, the Germans being aware of
the fact that all such supplies must needs pass
through the town.
The battery was fairly settled into position
before dusk of the same day. The gun crews
were making minor adjustments underneath
the camouflage screen, practicing deflection
shifts of the different barrages, the data of
which had already been received, and perfect-
ing themselves in the art of "preparing for
apple-sauce." There was not the slightest sus-
picion of an attack that night, for the organiza-
tion which we relieved. Battery "D," 341st F.
A., had not received a visit from Fritz as long
as they had been there. While some of the
I
73
cannoneers were making their beds in the tiny
dug-outs underneath the sand bags of each gun
position, others were standing out on the edge
of the road in the dusk Hstening to the battery
of I55's and two captured Austrian 77's of
mountain artillery firing directly over our
heads less than a quarter of a mile to the rear
of us. The Heinies finally opened up a counter
attack, and in return for each screaming,
squirming, hissing wild cat they let loose,
a half a dozen screeching American eagles
with talons extended and sure of their
prey darted over our heads to deliver
Yankee peace notes. Off in the hills to
the right a more violent artillery duel was
in progress, w^hile from down in front of us
came the convulsive clatter of musketry and
the occasional sharp, spurting sputter of a ma-
chine gun. At sudden, unexpected moments
the whole sky would be lighted up by the
white rockets which our doughboys hurled into
No-Man's-Land to see that Fritz was keeping
his head down. Then our attention would be
attracted by different colored rockets rising
from the infantry trenches signalling for a bar-
rage or warning of a gas or other attack.
As darkness fell the activities increased in
violence. The men gazed and became more
and more fascinated until they very suddenly
realized that the situation had become local-
ized. In other words every man there was sud-
denly aware that something heavy was flying
swiftly through the air and would hit them
squarely in the pit of the stomach if they didn't
move in a hurry.
Sgt. Lyons giving physical torture exercises
at Pont-a-Mousson: "Hands overhead, rest!"
There were seven or eight steps leading
down into a little dug-out underneath No. I's
gun position, and not a man in the little group
that dived into it remembers hitting more than
three steps on the way down. A few moments
later someone emerged and promptly returned
with the alarm for gas. So there was a grand
shuffle with the stubborn gas masks and then
the men sat there in the candle light staring at
each other through the hideous goggles of
their gas masks until someone suddenly
laughed his mask off, and went up to test for
gas. Sure enough there was a decided odor of
mustard ; not the garlic-like odor that had been
described to us so carefully in lectures upon
gas defense, but decidedly that of mustard.
So the men remained in the dug-outs, packed
in like sardines for a few more years until the
second attack was over.
A little room in the old railroad station at
Thiaucourt was chosen — temporarily, it was de-
cided later — as the B. C. station, and a kitchen
was established in shacks built into the steep
sides of the deep railroad bed a short distance
from the station. Both of these places became
the scenes of rather exciting comedies when-
ever Fritz became RESTLESS.
Chief Mechanic "Ted" Pontius was engaged
in some mechanical work in the main room of
the old shell-torn station one day and Capt.
Moore came in. As they stood there a few
shells began to fall around the old building,
apparently falling closer to the station as they
Sgt. Bennett at Cognac Hill, Coetquidan:
'Right dress! Forward, march!"
follow^ing con-
, they're
increased in number, and the
versa tion ensued: " -
falling pretty close."
Pontius (unconcernedly) : "Yes, sir — a
couple more turns of the hand wheel will just
about get us, I guess.
After a moment's silence, Pontius looked up
from his work and studied the walls of the old
shell-torn brick station. There was a huge hole
through the front of the building in the direc-
tion of fire. Pontius studied this for a moment
and then dryly remarked: "Say, Captain
Moore, hadn't 1 better knock a hole through
the wall opposite that puncture, so that, in case
a shell should come through that hole, it will
go right on through the building without ex-
ploding inside?"
Captain Moore: "Pontius, you shouldn't
talk that way — this is pretty serious business!"
Pontius: "Yes, sir — I'd just like to put up
one more flat in Detroit before I get bumped
off, though."
Two minutes later, as Signal Sergeant Hy-
don and some other members of the B. C. De-
tail w^ere working at their telephone sw^itch-
boards down at their crowded little dug-out.
Captain Moore's bedding roll, containing the
B. C. Station landed at the bottom of the fif-
teen foot stairway, leading down into the dug-
out.
At the kitchen Cook Twa and Privates Gen-
tilinis and Chavez were preparing a hot supper
for the gun crews. Several men were already
standing in the doorway, awaiting their sup-
per. Suddenly they scattered in every direc-
tion but chiefly for the dug-outs in the opposite
side of the railroad bed, adjusting their masks
as they ran. Cook Twa turned away from his
cook stove just in time to catch a glimpse of
their backs as they dove for shelter. Twa
rushed to the door, and, with his hand to his
ear, shouted after them: "What's the mat-
ter? Where are you going? Hey, come back
here before your supper gets all cold!" Then
he remembered Gentilinis, who in the mean-
time had jumped from the top bunk onto
Chavez's mess kit and dived underneath the
lower bunk. Chavez had hid himself under
the table.
After extracting Chavez from under the
— 74-
table and Gentilinis from under the bunk and
questioning them as to the cause of the com-
motion, Twa learned that the Heinies had just
been sending over some G. 1. cans and none of
the boys wanted to receive them. A shell
splinter had found its way through the side of
the kitchen but no one was hurt.
In the meantime a squad of cannoneers had
left the guns and had taken a short cut towards
the kitchen in the darkness and found them-
selves at the brink of the fifteen-foot embank-
ment along the old railroad bed just above the
kitchen. It was almost a straight drop down
to the road bed and they stood there trying to
figure out a way to get down or to get their
bearings in the darkness and find the stairs.
Some obliging German helped them by send-
ing over a whiner almost straight in their direc-
tion and the next minute they were sitting un-
hurt but shaken up at the foot of the embank-
ment.
It was about this time that two girls from
the Salvation Army atThiaucourt came up and
visited our gun position in the dark of night.
Private Jack Delmar gave them the "Halt,
who's there," and the reply was, "Oh, you
can't scare us, we are the S. A. Girls." We
will never forget the great work these good
people did at Thiaucourt.
Sergeant "Pop" Anson and his trusty am-
munition train had some thrilling times during
these nights getting ammunition up to the
front. The first time they ran into gas they
held a joint debate as to whether it was gas
or not and ended up with masks on the men
and not on the horses. It was that same night
that Lieutenant Mcintosh found out that the
drill regulations wouldn't fit the Bouillionville-
Thiaucourt Road. "Pop " and his associates
did some great work getting "Ammo" up,
however, and the night before the armistice
brought up 5,000 rounds to finish the Boche.
Back at the echelon in Bouillionville, the
boys had a fatter, if not so exciting, time eat-
ing Salvation Army doughnuts and drinking
Red Cross cocoa. By one of the freaks of
war this little town was completely in "dead
space" and all except Fritz's air bombs went
whistling over without harm. Lieutenant
Hayes was commander of the echelon and to
say that the boys would have tackled Hell for
him is putting it mildly. While he was up
front. First Sergeant Renner was in charge.
It was on the night of November 9th that
Battery A's famous WILD CAT GUN got into
action. Two gun crews, under the direction of
Lieutenant Mcintosh and composed of the fol-
lowing men: Sergeant Burke, Sergeant Ahrens,
Corporal Bondy, Corporal Hall, Corporal Gal-
luser. Privates Anderson, Hellerman, Lippold,
Teets, Gies, Aldrich, Keck, Dobbins, Balmer,
and Howard, dragged old No. 4 gun forward,
a kilometer or more.
The night was pitch dark, except for a few
stars twinkling betw^een the clouds and an oc-
casional doughboy rocket lighting up the sky.
The going w^as very tough after turning off the
road and the wheels cut deep; but the position
was finally reached, the piece laid and the aim-
ing stake set. During firing, the light in the
aiming stake continued to go out. We had to
cease firing several times in the middle of a
problem in order to relight it, and finally had
to send a man out to hold a flashlight inside
the aiming stake until the gun was layed each
time. Waiting for him to come back before
firing was surely impatient stuff. We also had
to examine the bore of the gun each shot by
flashlight and swab it out occasionally. The
men were never keener on the job.
Lieutenant Mcintosh established himself
near the gun where he could light a candle to
refer to his firing data and kept Sergeant Burke
and Sergeant Ahrens busy getting the dope
down to old No. 4. There were five different
targets and just that many problems, necessi-
tating big shifts both in the deflection and
range; and, after two or three rounds were
_:ii^^
We didn't need our bugler in the modern french biuets
— 75 —
fired, it was no easy task to push the gun for-
ward and release the trail spade from the soft,
mucky earth — and then relay the piece. Three
men were kept busy fusing shells and old No.
4 was soon hot enough to light a cigarette on.
She was given a few minutes rest only when
several areoplanes were heard approaching the
position and the possibility of detection be-
came imminent. When this danger was passed,
she again spat fire and continued to send peace
messages to Fritz until all of the 350 rounds —
excepting three culls — were delivered. Then
she was dragged back to the Battery position,
shortly before dawn.
The suppressed excitement of the occasion,
together with sundry brilliant flashes of mod-
ern night warfare the rapid but irregular
sputtering of musketry as the doughboys
sprinkled the ground just across No-man's-land,
the boom of other 75's, the roar of 155's and
larger calibre guns, punctuated by an occa-
sional spasm of machine ginnery — combined
to make this one of the most thrilling adven-
tures our boys ever went through.
Next came the grand event of "Finee La
Guerre," as the French described it. We do
not purpose to describe it here, but we will
always remember the great hush that marked
the end, that colored band doing the ragtime
snake dance up and dow^n the long silent
streets of Bouillionville, and our own boys
starting at once to think of home and better
days.
By nine a. m. of the 13th we had rejoined
the regiment and were on our way to Pont-a-
Mousson. Our stay at this "Athens of France"
was about as pleasant as a long wait to go
home could be. We had good billets, good
eats, and nothing in particular to do until
horses were issued to us again.
Battery A lived for the most part in what
had once been the home of a famous French
general. His name plate was still on the wall
over the main entrance. General Gerard
Christophe Michel Duroc, Due de Frioul, was
the gentleman's full title, and he was born in
Pont-a-Mousson way back in 1 772. He was
killed near Markerdurf, Saxony, May, 1 81 3.
He was employed on diplomatic missions to
Stockholm, Copenhagen, St. Petersburg, Berlin
and Dresden; took part in the famous battle
of Austerlitz as successor to Oudinot, and ac-
companied Napoleon in the campaign of 1 806
and 1807.
In 1 809, he was with the Emperor in Aus-
tria and negotiated the truce of Znaym. In
1812, he was in the Russian campaign, always
enthusiastically devoted to the cause of Na-
poleon, of whom he was a great favorite.
After the Battle of Bautzen, while escorting the
Emperor to an elevation adjoining the battle
ground, he was struck by a cannon shot. The
farmhouse in which he died was purchased by
Napoleon, who caused a monument to be
erected there in Duroc's memory. His remains
were removed in 1 845 to the Church Des In-
valides in Paris.
It was in the ruins of his old home that we
had our orderly room, sergeants' quarters, and
most of the billets. Sergeant Ahrens is guilty
of a poem about these quarters which is worthy
of repetition:
Although in lordly mansions 1 reside.
With mammoth mirrors hung on every side.
With marble table tops and marble hearth.
And golden stairs and everything on earth
With the finest furniture and fancy doors.
And tapestries and even panelled floors,
With lots to eat, and drink, and even wine,
I'll take that humble little home I left, for mine.
For General Duroc this may have been just gran*,
Or even for a much more famous man
Who had nothing else to do, indeed.
But boss his hops and don his weed
Or order more mahogany to burn
But there's just one thing for which I yearn
While in the midst of all these things sublime
Sure, it's nothing less than that humble little home
of mine.
General Duroc's residence was a scene of
great hilarity on the night of New Year's Eve.
"One keg of beer for the four of us" was sung
by the Dirty Dozen. This was the party in
which "Tommy" McDonald got so "het up"
over the merits of the county he was born in,
that he positively cried. That was after one
of Dan Sheedy's bear hugs had convinced him
that it was useless to fight.
Presently we fell heir to some horses again
and went back to the old routine of stand-to-
heel. We groomed these rabbits for about a
month and then a detail was selected to turn
the pieces in at Domgermain. That trip was
about as tough as any of our boys have ever
undertaken at home or abroad. The roads
were frozen and slippery and it was hard for
horses and men to stand up, let alone make
any progress. Furthermore, it was bitter cold
and windy and the boys on the detail came
back with their faces parched red. But we
were done with gun drill and that helped
some.
After just three months of setting up exer-
cises, fair-to-middling grub, more or less gun
drill, mighty decent billets, some athletics and
entertainment in the dolled-up "Hippodrome,"
we turned the horses over to the poor old 7th
doughboys and prepared to "partee." (Those
7th division doughboys must have found the
horses hard to take.)
On the morning of February I 1 th, we com-
menced the famous side door Pullman trip
with trimmings — the trimmings being army
ticks filled with hay and all the stoves and
wood we could swipe. We w^ere two nights
and a day on this trip, which was by all means
the best box car ride we ever had in France.
We arrived at Besse-Sur-Braye at 2 :00 p. m.
February 1 3th and promptly hiked 1 5 kilo-
meters to Evaille, arriving there for billets in
the dark. Billets were secured from the resi-
dents and the battery was scattered all over
town. Some of the sergeants wound up as star
76 —
boarders at the village hotel. There was a
billiard table there; this could be moved to
make way for an occasional grand ball, Fred
Hulburd helping out on the music with his old
violin. Excellent pommes de terre fried and
ouefs a la omelet were a feature of this hos-
telry. It was at Evaille that our worthy me-
chanics built their famous shower baths. The
fame of these baths spread clear down to St.
Calais, where regimental headquarters was lo-
cated. It was here also that Battery A fell
heir to another of its frequent quarantines —
this one for measles.
We left Evaille at 9:30 the morning of Sun-
day, March 2nd, and broke the record hiking
to Le Briel, a distance of 24 kilometers. Cap-
tain Moore set out to demonstrate how Bat-
tery A could show up the regiment and nearly
cooked our meathouse. We slept on boards
and concrete that night and hiked about 20
kilometers the next day, arriving at Camp
D'Avours, commonly known as the Belgian
camp, at 1 1 :30 a. m. Here we flopped on
quadruple w^ire cots. It was here that we lost
Private Edward Godwin, the boy who made
Genesee County famous. He was taken with
mumps and had to go to the hospital. (Hope
you got home safely, Mumps. )
Now came another round of inspections use-
less and otherwise (mostly useless), ending
with the notorious inspection out in the field
where nobody knew what was wanted and
everybody went home mad. Modest little Cor-
poral Beebe made himself known on this occa-
sion when he told Lieutenant Hayes that he
didn't give a damn if it was wrong, after he
had changed his layout several times. This is
the same little lad who successfully protected
himself by crawling beneath his helmet, there-
by winning the Croix de Chapeaux for his in-
ventive genius, when the G. 1. cans were com-
ing over, up at the front.
We were in this camp for four days, and
Sunday morning, March 7th, found us under
way with full packs down to the train, a little
jaunt of 1 4 kilometers. After the hike in the
drizzling rain, we were greatly refreshed by
hot cocoa and crackers, served by the Y. M.
C. A. What a great sound it was to hear the
genuine American train bells ringing and then
to pile into honest-to-gosh American box cars.
We didn't sleep much that night — 53 men and
packs to a car enabled only your feet to go to
sleep — but we were on the last lap of our jour-
ney in France and we didn't care a heap.
We reached the much discussed and cussed
city of Brest about noon of the next day and
found it living up to its reputation for rain.
Hot chow in the big down-town mess hall
cheered us up, however. Then we made the
OH! BOY! WONT it be GREAT to "fines' with F/NEESHI
«"
UN oozef< oeufs NO oeof
(EGSS) (MADAME. MONSIEUR
— m:'.
MONSIEUR? /^* '
— 1!!0 U ■v-"*7 X
eeAucoop
VIN MA0eMO(Sei-LE
i NO vw - -
— TC'UMOR ! !.'
■FlNCesM^
ENcowe
POMM6. DE TEPBf ;
7 HO- FlNEESH
CHOcotAre
MAD A ME ?
NO-
CHOCOLAT
TRE3 DIFFICILE I
FiNEeSH
0^'. boy! eur it'-S CRrAT
To BE BAC K !
^m
— 77 —
long hike up the grade to Camp Pontanezen,
■where we were to put in 1 6 days of night and
day details and everlasting inspections. In the
matter of living conditions we found, however,
that this camp was not nearly so bad as re-
ported. We had good tents with wooden
floors and plenty of fuel for the ice-cream cone
stoves. Going through the big delousing
camp was one of the novel features of this
camp. System was written all over the plant,
which incidentally burned down shortly after
we went through.
Eventually we passed our last inspection —
upstairs — downstairs — "roll 'em up and beat
it, boys" — and were at length on our way
down to the longed-for boat. By this time, we
had been advised that the Leviathan was to
carry us home and it sure was some tickled lot
of buddies that boarded the big ship on the
morning of March 24th.
At 6:15 p. m., March 26th, the Leviathan
weighed anchor and started for home. Just
prior to starting we were sorry to lose Bugler
"Ollie" Thorpe, who ■was taken off the boat
as a witness to some trial proposition back in
the other side of France. "Ollie" had made
himself famous in the regiment w^ith his ex-
cellent tenor voice and was always popular
w^ith our own boys.
During the trip. Captain Moore was ap-
pointed Major and Lieutenant Hayes assumed
command of the Battery. Old Battery A was
assigned to guard duty on the floating city and
said duty sure kept us humping. The phrase
"You can't stand there, soldier," got to be a
by-word all over the ship.
We were scheduled to arrive off Sandy
Hook about 8:00 a. m., the morning of April
2nd and about 4:00 a. m. most of the men
started rolling their packs. Almost everyone
was up on deck when the good old U. S. A.
hove into view and the boys nearly upset the
boat in an effort to see Miss Liberty wave a
welcome with her left arm (it having been
rumored in Brest that a device had been per-
fected which enabled the Statue of Liberty to
wave her arm whenever a transport came into
viewr, by simply pressing a button). The ship's
crew had said that they would dock the Levia-
than at 1 1 :00 that morning and they did — to
the dot. We piled down the gang plank short-
ly after noon, waited on the dock an hour or
so, killing time by disposing of Red Cross, Sal-
vation Army and "Y" eats.
Then we rode the Long Island Ferry, "Cats-
kill," for about three hours and then boarded
the train for Camp Mills. This pulled out im-
mediately and we were soon negotiating the
same hike that we took just eight months and
nineteen days previously. Arriving at Camp
Mills, we found, instead of tents, long, neat
rows of green-painted barracks. The old war
lamp of Aladdin had sure done wonders to
this erstwhile uncomfortable hang-out.
Our stay at Mills this time was quite the
most pleasant of any we had made in the
Army, notwithstanding our anxiety to get
home. Passes were as free as Flanders mud
and most of the boys w^ere as busy as a one-
eyed boy at a three-ring circus, trying to see
New York (and environs) all at once.
Our neighbor and messmate rather showed
us up on "Mess Auxiliaries" here until some-
body evidently got wise to the fact that we had
a mess fund of our own. Then we began to
banquet.
Well, we left the rejuvenated Camp Mills at
2:15 p. m. April 1 7th. The train was an all
Pullman affair — no changing of cars or trans-
fers— plenty of sheets, pillow, porters, n'every-
thing — and we steamed straight through to
Custer.
Oh, yes, we did stop in Detroit for half an
hour the next day to lean out of the window
and yell "Hello." The only time Battery A
ever got stuck anywhere was when our train
stalled on a grade going into Custer and an-
other Mogul was needed to boost us up the
hill. We struck the parent camp at about 8:30
p. m. and found filled straw ticks on the old
familiar cots in the old familiar barracks.
By Monday of the next week, the demobil-
ization machinery got to rolling and though it
was the most ponderous Juggernaut we had
yet run up against, it finally did the business
and we were practically all sporting red chev-
rons by Wednesday. Talk about your "gran'
'n' glorious feelin'," this was the grandest.
Just to show that old Battery A never did
lose its fighting pep. Old Dan Sheedy — the
only Stable Sergeant who was ever called
"Tarzan of the Apes" — started in to lick the
whole of Battery B when somebody threatened
to swipe Bill Burke's Manhattan dog. And
that while waiting for his discharge.
SERGEANT H. F. AHRENS,
Battery Editor.
— 78 —
I^ATTEKY 5
On September 5 th, 1917, the following men
of Ward No. 4, Detroit — Charles H. Price,
Wilfred A. Gustafson, Nathan I. Baiter, Sid-
ney D. Light, Harry T. Dickey, Stanley C.
Stacy, Russell W. Lally, Hazen P. Aiken,
Montgomery Parsons, William N. Coleman,
John P. Maher, Charles A. Parker, George N.
Mumley, Joseph C. Dierich, and Gordon K.
MacEdward — formed at the Trowbridge
schoolhouse at 9:00 a. m., boarded the Brush
street car to the Detroit Armory, and after a
sumptuous repast at Al Smith's Lunch Room,
Cadillac Square, returned to the Armory,
where they formed for the parade. The route
of the parade was as follows: Bates St. to
Jefferson Ave., to Woodward Ave., to Eliza-
beth St., where cars were boarded for the
Michigan Station. It was a gloomy day — al-
most a counterpart of the sort we were des-
tined to get used to in France — but nothing
could dampen the ardor of the send-off given
this first little group of Uncle Sam's "Selects."
They were cheered at every corner, handker-
chiefs waved, and every now and then some
lad would yell, "Go to it. Jack; I'll be with
you soon!" They went to it and at the Michi-
gan Station boarded the train for Camp Cus-
ter.
The Camp Receiving Station was reached at
4:00 p. m. The first picture of this famous
station was a never-to-be-forgotten one. It
was still raining. When the boys got a look at
the big open place with its numerous little
"sheep-pens" and more officers than had ap-
parently ever been gathered together before,
they mentally decided that they could never
go through that labyrinth and come out a
civilian. They took a deep breath and plunged
in. Here they were questioned as to their
previous experience, classified, and assigned to
Battery "B," 329th Field Artillery. An offi-
cer led the way to building No. 399.
There the whole skeleton regiment ate its
first army meal, and spent its first night in the
service of Uncle Sam. This night before "re-
tiring," as Private Aiken called it. Private
Dickey remarked, "Hell, you ain't in civilian
life now, you're in the army and are just going
to HIT THE HAY." (Take it from Private
K. P. Onthespot, we never had a chance to for-
get we were in the army after that — even the
bugler took up the refrain. ) Of course we re-
member Private Stacy with his pink pajamas,
and Private Lally with his home-made night-
cap, as he remarked, "1 don't see how 1 can
stand these woolen blankets." While just
around our partition, our Saginaw Kid (Sidney
D. Light) was arguing with String Bean Die-
rich as to the proper combination for reducing
his six feet of glorious manhood into the con-
fines of a four-foot bed. At the other end of
the row of bunks a distinguished looking
"buck," whom we learned from his conversa-
tion, was Private John J. Maher, the brilliant
and prosperous Detroit lawyer. It was his de-
light to harangue his fellow private and in par-
ticular one named Nathan I. Baiter, who al-
ways appeared to be intensely interested but
who it transpired was fast asleep most of the
time — except when it came to the matter of
shaking hands, when he was awake in both
eyes.
Private Gustafson, better known as the
QUAKER SWEDE, who afterwards developed into
a tar-paper manufacturer "at certain times and
places," finally cast aside his pinch-back suit
and was about to hit the hay when in blew Pri-
vate Politician Price with one of his Cinco
"Ropes," of which he seemed to have a never
faily supply. Finally our candles gutted out
and darkness reigned supreme — but not for
long, as Custer witnessed the worst electrical
storm of the season during the next two hours.
After that all went well until reveille, when
the boisterous voice of Lieutenant Carnahan
(he was then acting "Top Kick") was heard
at the top of the stairs saying, "Everybody out
for roll call in ten minutes!" This ten minutes
was crowded with the frantic efforts of re-
cruits trying to do in the allotted time what
usually took them from thirty minutes to an
hour. And when a . second call was made
"asking" us to hurry, the whole mob rushed
madly down stairs in all stages of negligee.
They thought it was a Mess call but to their
sorrow it was a line-up for the then mysterious
rite called reveille. Solemn-faced Private
Mumley thought that reveille was a religious
79
ceremony, and came out with his little Y. M.
C. A. testament under his arm. When atten-
tion was called, Privates Light and Dierich, not
knowing what it meant, continued to discuss
the question as to who was to be cook. Pri-
vate Baiter in the rear rank was busily engaged
in shaking hands with Private Price in the
front rank, as Nate was firmly convinced that
such was the passport to the aforesaid Cinco
cigars.
After several vain attempts the line was
formed and roll was called. No "Here" in re-
sponse to Private Lally's name. Whereupon
Stacy volunteered the information that they
only had one powder puff between the two of
them, and "Ten minutes. Sir, didn't give us
both time to use it." Question Sir: Lieuten-
ant Sir (This from Private Dickey) : "What
time will breakfast be served?" The question
Wcis answered with one word. "DISMISSED."
Drill, Drill, Drill, Hike, Hike, Hike, was the
order of the day for the time. The camp was
more or less picturesque and attracted many
visitors. It swept in a huge half moon, through
what had once been a rolling cornfield. The
streets were wide, dusty tracks, cut with gul-
lies and ditches and ruling off a seeming con-
fusion of buildings — barracks after barracks,
looking like factory buildings, long store-
houses, officers' quarters like overgrown box
cars, big and little buildings for every conceiv-
able use. The unfinished state of the camp ex-
plained why we did not find the place home-
like. We had boys there who pined for moth-
er's home-made biscuits and who held them-
selves aloof from their fellows. But they were
getting just what they needed when they were
put into the field and compelled to drill with
the other boys.
On September 1 6th we moved to barracks
No. 419, and our officers were assigned to the
Battery. They were: Captain Cecil A. Fraz-
ier, 1st Lieutenant Paul M. Bowen, 2nd Lieu-
tenants C. Dale Curtiss, William Shields and
V. Downing Dukes and William F. Gregson.
For the next two days we were kept busy ar-
ranging the barracks for the Sept. 1 9th draft.
We had boys in this first section of sixteen men
who were capable of drawing a lead pencil but
when it came to drawing a car load of straw
and a car load of steel cots, there was quite an
argument as to the advisability of hiring a
truck. However no one had the nerve to
make the suggestion to Lieutenant Curtiss until
our pet military college graduate Montgomery
T. Parsons volunteered to take the matter up
through military channels. Lieutenant Curtiss
told him that it would not be advisable, as the
matter was not covered by the drill regulations.
So a detail was formed and we carried the two
car load lots on our backs in true military
style.
By Sept. 19th the men of the first five per
cent considered themselves veterans in the old
army game and were all set to receive the
"rookies" as they called them. Between the
19th and the 22nd, one hundred and eighteen
men were assigned to our battery.
Most of the men who came to camp in the
first draft were filled with the "Spirit of '76";
a few were filled with spirit of a most ardent
Capt. Cecil A. Prazier
nature but more recent date. All of course
v^rere dressed in civilian clothes; and what a
wonderful picture they presented as they made
their entrance into Uncle Sam's service — men
of every shade of political opinion, and every
class of society and yet they all met on com-
mon ground with the same object in view, and
that object the subjection of a common foe.
They were all imbued with patriotic fervor,
but had a very hazy idea as to who was who
and ^yhat was what in the army. The burning
question of the hour seemed to be, "Must we
salute-the sergeant or not?" and everyone was
afraid to ask him. The difficulty experienced
by all rookies in recognizing officers and their
proper rank was clearly shown by Private
Doyle's experience. He had just discovered
that the top-kick is a being of importance in the
Battery and had heard him asking if anyone
had seen the Colonel. Shortly afterward he
heard the Colonel asking for the first sergeant
and Private Doyle said "Yes. He's in the
barracks and you had better get a hustle on
for he has been looking for you and will give
you H for keeping him waitingi"
At this time the wash rooms and shower
baths were not complete, consequently shaving
done in the early morning with cold water,
baths taken in a nearby stream where there
— 81
were six inches of water and twelve of mud,
and daily pilgrimages round the barracks po-
licing up scrap lumber and other building
refuse are happenings which always live in the
memories of those men whose privilege it was
to be at camp in the early days of its history.
As civilians we had always imagined that
artillery was intimately associated with horses
and guns, but to our surprise we found these
were conspicuous for their absence. Captain
Frazier evidently had the same ideas that we
Pirst Iiieut. Dale CiirtisB
had on the subject, and set out to remedy the
deficiency to the best of his ability. He man-
aged to get the loan of an ancient member of
the equine family and the 1917 class in
"Horseology" was formed, under Lieutenant
Shields. The class was intensely interested in
horses,, as some of the questions proved. Pri-
vate Doyle was very anxious to know which
was the horse's head, as his father was in the
livery business and had advised him to become
a stable sergeant in the army after learning
all the parts of the horse. Private Daw, being
greatly interested in the general appearance
of the genus equus, asked how the horse kept
himself clean. A little later he was introduced
to a currycomb and brush and found the
answer. Day by day the horse lectures con-
tinued and we gradually became full-fledged
horsemen, as far as pictures and the drill regu-
lations would permit.
When it came to the matter of guns, it was
a different case. We were unable to beg, bor-
row or steal anything that even looked like a
gun; but, between the competence of our offi-
cers and the policing ability of the men, we
constructed some rare and beautiful fixtures
which took the place of the 3-inch guns on
which we were supposed to drill. The great-
est problem of the intelligent young cannon-
eers, Lieutenant Dukes found, was to "Call
off" correctly; and, when it came to changing
posts, the result reminded one of a mob of
grasshoppers gone crazy with the heat. Dur-
ing the change-post exercise, many arguments
took place between Privates Lucker and Giftop-
olus, the latter would insist that the number
following five was four. However Lucker was
very accommodating and after a short while
assumed the attitude of a frog just about to
jump, so that if he saw a vacant post he was
always ready to hop into it.
After "picture horse" lectures, "tar paper"
gun drills, squads right and squads left, our
athletic officer. Lieutenant Dukes, known as
the fastest walker in the battery, decided that
some four or five mile hikes would be bene-
ficial to our brain development; and after one
of these each afternoon, we called it a day —
unless new recruits came in. In this event we
were entertained by the Captain, who read us
a few selections from that surprising book
known to all soldiers as "Such penalty as a
Court Martial may direct."
When we came to camp we found that
Guard Duty was being done by a detachment
of the 32nd National Guard. Their removal
to a southern camp made it necessary for the
recruits to take up guard duty and being the
best posted officer on the subject. Lieutenant
Curtiss was assigned the task of making us
familiar with the manual of interior guard
duty. We w^ell remember going out on the
parade ground to practice on various piles of
scrap lumber. After each man had proved his
ability to recite the general orders correctly,
we were put on regular guard duty.
One night Lieutenant Curtiss was inspecting
the guard as Officer of the Day and was com-
manded to halt by Private Colacicco — "Colly"
of subsequent wind-jamming fame. Lieuten-
ant Curtiss halted, expecting the regulation
question "Who is there?" but it did not come.
Instead he was commanded to halt a second
time. Thinking Colacicco was just nervous,
he attempted to prompt him by asking "Well,
what comes next?" Like a flash came the
answer, "1 will call halt the third time and
then fire." Needless to say, Lieut. Curtiss was
very glad he butted in when he did without
waiting for developments.
About this time we were assigned to our
new barracks at the extreme western edge of
camp and, as they were not quite ready for
occupancy, we sent out a detail to guard them
each night. After a few nights every one of
which was wet — we came to the conclusion
that altho it was called "interior guard duty"
it was done very much outdoors. During our
period of guard duty at the new barracks it
was orders to challenge all civilians in order to
locate any booze they might be bringing into
camp — as we did not wish them to drink it all
themselves. At least that was the way Private
May looked at it when he rounded up a civil-
ian carpenter who was bringing in two quarts
of the "very best." May thought it would
come in very nice for the use of the guards.
But Acting Corporal Price convinced the act-
ing sergeant of the guard — Gustafson — that
the only thing we dare do was test the quality
by a deep inhalation and turn it over to the
Captain, as we were told that the Medical
Dept. had use for the same. Just then a call
82
came in, "Corporal of the Guard, Post No. 9."
At double time Dickey and Price made their
way to the aforesaid post and were just in time
to rescue Private Sullivan from one of the
many latrine excavations located around the
barracks. When questioned as to what he was
doing down there, "Sully" explained that he
was taking charge of his post and all govern-
ment property in view and, as the bottom of
the hole was not in view, he was investigating.
At last Private Sullivan was walking his post
in a military manner and, in the stillness of
the night, we overheard the Officer of the Day
asking the sentry on post No. 8 if he "had"
his general orders. If you remember Private
Reading — and we all do — you will not be sur-
prised to learn that he took them from his
pocket and handed them to the O. D.
At last our new home was sufficiently com-
plete for us to move into it and, on October
30th, 1917, we packed our belongings into our
blankets (we had not then been introduced to
the haversack) and left 419 for 1291. By
this time we were getting into the army way of
doing things and it did not take us long to set
up the wood stoves, which were the source of
heat until the steam plants were completed,
and get to "setting pretty."
During November our ordinary drills we
supplemented by pick and shovel work and
we gained considerable knowledge as to how
dug-outs were constructed. An elaborate sys-
tem of defense work was planned which in-
cluded dug-outs of sufficient capacity to house
an entire battalion. But before this was com-
pleted— on one of the coldest days in Decem-
ber— we received an order to draw from the
remount station the horses needed to make us
into a real artillery outfit, and (we thought)
relieve us from further infantry drill. The ad-
vent of the horses gave some of us who had
had no previous experience with them a chance
to practice the lessons we had learned by heart
from Lieutenant Shields. That great command
which will never be forgotten — "Stand to
Heel!" — was given for the first time. Private
Lenhardt says he had no chance to obey them,
as "Whiskey Dick" had a drill regulation all
his own which called for a commissioned offi-
cer to handle. So, after Lenhardt was picked
up, Lieutenant Clarke came to the rescue and
TOLD another man how to groom.
With drills of various kinds to keep us busy,
the time passed quickly until Christmas was at
hand. Of course everyone was hoping that
he would be lucky enough to get a pass which
would enable him to be with his folks for the
festive season; and our feelings can better be
imagined than described when an order came
through advising that, owing to the congestion
of the railroads, no passes over Christmas
would be allowed. However, about the time
everyone was beginning to feel desperate, the
order was changed making it possible for twen-
ty-five per cent of all organizations to be ab-
sent at one time. Then there was a wildly
exciting time until we found out who would be-
the ones lucky enough to get the Christmas
period. The seventy-five per cent who had to
remain in camp were admirably fed up by our
excellent Mess Sergeant Russell W. Lally. Fol-
lowing is the menu which he provided for din-
ner:
Blue Points
Celery Sweet Pickles Nuts Queen Olives
Roast Turkey
Sage Dressing Cranberry Sauce
Candied Sweet Potatoes American Peas
Asparagus Salad Saltines
Mince Pie Vanilla Ice Cream Cake
Rolls Cheese Butter Mints
Cigars Cigarettes
After dinner we were provided with music
by some friends of his who kindly came out
from Battle Creek.
The next event of importance was the
famous blizzard of January I 1 th, 1918. There
never was another one like it so far as the
weather man was able to find out. Snow fell
mountain high in places and the thermometer
dropped clear out of sight. Over in front of
regimental headquarters the little red column
registered 22 below zero around breakfast
time and was said to have reached 30 during
the night. Wild rumors came in of sentries
frozen on posts, telephone lines down, traffic
blocked and whatnot. We were fairly com-
fortable in barracks — using everything from
shoes to raincoats as bunk covers — and only
First Iiieut. Julian D. Sargent
had one scare when the steam quit for thirty
minutes or so due to a frozen water intake.
Every once in a while some voyager would re-
turn with whatever part of his anatomy had
been exposed frozen a bleak white. We ALL
got ours when it came to watering and caring
for the horses.
It was too cold for even a blanketed horse
to stick his head out, so we had to carry water
to them in pails. Suffering criminy, w^hat a
job! The wind was running wild and our rain-
coats were soon a mass of sheeted ice. Our
gloves caked up and our faces lost all sem-
83 —
blance of feeling. But we finally got the brutes
filled up and went back to sympathize with the
poor stable police. We will never forget that
blizzard as long as we live. It took days to
get the snow shoveled away and longer than
that for camp activities to get back into ship-
shape again. The only place we could find a
jitney for a day or so was stalled somewhere
along the road. Those who were out of camp
that night had a large time getting back. Cap-
tain Bowen, for instance (he was then acting
Battery Commander), had a hard time keep-
ing a private A. W. O. L. of his from looking
like desertion. Some of the boys on pass got
an idea they'd never have a chance to come
back.
But it all blew over finally and then, as
Noah once remarked, "The floods came."
Glory Hallelujah! what a time we had draining
the corrals and keeping the stalls dry. We had
a healthy duck pond running under the fence
between us and "A" Battery's corral. That
neighbor's husky mud gang promptly drained
it into "D" Battery's corral and they could not
pass it on so were literally flooded out.
After the floods came mud. The old corral
was one of the fanciest seas of mud you ever
saw and the entire camp was a mass of sticky
"goo." Nothing short of hip boots would
have ever kept our feet dry in those days. But
the mud passed, as most curses do in the
army, and we soon found there were other
things besides squads east and west in the
U. S. N. A. Every day we spent a large part
of our time at the stables and after a month's
training became expert "groomers." Our
horsemanship instructor, Lieut. Coble, soon
convinced us, though, that we were not artil-
lery men until we received our mounted in-
structions. These had been quite a joke in the
past with wooden horses but after several in-
effective attempts at mounting "Whiskey
Dick" and old "100" we decided that the real
horses had the joke on us. After we learned
to stick on a horse with the aid of only a
blanket and surcingle, we drew some ancient
harness and some of the guns which rumor
said were used by the Indians about the year
1 600. With the aid of this equipment we
learned the rudiments of mounted drill.
About this time a Brigade School for non-
coms was started and there our battery stars
had their first lessons in actual firing. The
guns used were American 3-inch light field
pieces, and on a cold winter morning the bat-
tery was marched out to the range to see the
practice. There we heard for the first time
the whistle of shells as they passed through
the air — a sound which was to become one
of our most vivid memories after we had been
"over there." Shortly afterward these guns
were issued to the regiment and we had con-
siderable firing practice. We found that on
account of the ground being so sandy the guns
had considerable kick and the gunners were
warned not to sit with their eyes too close
to the panoramic sight when the piece was
fired. Corporal Daw discovered that he would
in the future have to make allowances for the
length of his nose as he w^as put out of busi-
ness for a short while through one miscal-
culation. Corporal Sullivan also discovered
that it was an easy matter to make an error
of 100 miles or so deflection. Fortunately it
was only an innocent old cow that he killed.
The observing party claimed that they were
also in considerable danger, but if they were
it was not for long for they "sure did run."
Even the Colonel decided that safety waa more
to be considered than dignity.
While we were in Camp Custer we had two
division and two brigade reviews, in all of
which Battery B showed up to advantage. We
were also right in the front when it came to
sports and our baseball team, under the able
leadership of Sergeant Harold A. Klees, always
gave a good account of itself. The battery
had several leaders in sport events and the re-
sults are shown in the sports section.
The death of Arnulf Gloetsner while at Of-
ficers' Training School was a distinct shock to
us all. He was battery clerk previous to en-
tering school and during this time endeared
himself to all in Battery B by his courtesy and
cheerfulness.
Several of our old men went to Officers'
Training School and of the original sixteen
only the following men went right through with
When "Col." Ritter, of the fourth gun squad,
received the welcome news, on the 10th of No-
vember, that the firing would cease on the 11th,
he exclaimed: "Gus, if we can only manage to
duck those nasty G. I. cans for the next twenty-
four hours 1"
us: 1st Sergeant Charles H. Price, Sergeants
W. A. Gustafson, S. D. Light, and N. 1. Baiter.
To counteract the losses of non-coms some of
the privates were promoted and the battery
was reorganized by Captain Frazier who insti-
tuted classes and spent a lot of time teaching
firing data, fire control, etc.
Another distinction that Battery B can claim
is that we were the battery chosen from the
I 60th F. A. Brigade to represent the artillery
of the 85th Division in the Third Liberty Loan
parade at Detroit, April 6th, 1918.
84 —
Early in February we began working on our
horses — grooming and exercising them — and
as soon as the fields were dry enough for
mounted drill we got them in fine shape and
were able to make a first-rate showing. We
were drilled every day then and after the
aforementioned reviews were picked as the
best drilled battery and the one for the De-
troit parade. We were all pleased to get the
trip for though it meant a lot of work, it would
give our friends in Detroit a chance to see
just what sort of organization Battery B was.
By the evening of April 5 th the harness,
equipment and material had all been cleaned
and polished up to army standard and was
loaded on the cars near the corral. The horses
had been groomed almost steadily that day and
couldn't be made to look better. Everyone
was interested and wanted things to look their
very best.
We got up at 3:00 o'clock the morning of
April 6th, ate breakfast and went to the
stables where our horses were rarin' to go.
We took them to the remount loading plat-
form and soon were ready to go. We occu-
pied seven cars — three for the stock, two flat
cars for material, one baggage car for harness,
etc., and one passenger coach for the men.
We left Camp Custer at 6:00 a. m. and
arrived in Detroit by 12:00. By 1 :00 o'clock
we had unloaded, harnessed, hitched in and
were on our way to Grindley Field where the
units were to assemble. At 2:30 p. m. the
parade moved out. Well forward the 3 1 0th
Trench Mortar Company had a mortar mount-
ed on a truck from which they fired bombs,
bursting them in mid-air. Our horses were
quite nervous from being in the cars and in a
strange place and the bursting bombs put the
acme of pep into them. As our turn came to
move out (we had to pass through a rather
narrow opening to the street) a carriage of
the second section collided with a trolley pole,
delaying the following carriages long enough
to lose perhaps two hundred yards, and when
we were free to close up we made a dash down
Woodward Avenue to beat any fire depart-
ment. The sight of galloping horses, carriages
bumping over the pavement and street car
rails was enough to satisfy any expectations of
the crowd which lined the streets.
At Grand Circus Park we were reviewed by
Major General Kennedy and "shot" by the
movie cameras which were everywhere. The
parade went south on Woodward Avenue to
Jefferson Avenue and came to a halt at the
Third Street railroad yards. Here we un-
hitched and made ready to go "home." Major
Lothrop gave the order that as soon as every-
thing was loaded ready for the return trip we
could be dismissed until 8:30 p. m. We
loaded all the materiel and made it fast to
the cars in eighteen minutes which time was
a record breaker we were told. We won our
dismissal all right and as the greater part of
the boys lived in Detroit they had an oppor-
tunity to eat dinner and spend a few hours at
home. (Some of them didn't spend all their
time at home apparently.) We started back at
9:00 o'clock, arriving in Camp Custer at 2:00
a. m. Before we could sleep we had to un-
load and care for the horses, so were a tired
lot of men when we were dismissed at the
barracks.
There wasn't a blunder made during the
Xiieut. Charles P. Ackert
whole trip and we were complimented by sev-
eral of the brigade officers for the snap and
military bearing which the men displayed.
Along in June came a new bunch of men
and from these recruits our battery was filled
to war strength. The process of assimilation
was most easy and rapid by this time and the
new men were regular soldiers by the middle
of July. On the 1 6th we lined up in front of
old 1291 for the last time, slung packs and
hiked off down the muddy road. Naturally
it was raining. We entrained down below the
remount station and just before noon slid
silently out of the camp which had come to be
such a home to us. (We didn't realize how
much of a home it had been until we hit
France. ) This was an excellent trip in spite
of the three-to-a-seat regulation. The Red
Cross brightened up our trip at several stops
and people along the line waved good luck
and good-bye. We reached Jersey City the
next afternoon, ferried down the river and
piled off at Long Island City about supper
time. Had it not been for the Red Cross there
we would have gone hungry that night. We
reached Camp Mills rather late and were
promptly assigned to our tents. No one can
tell how glad we were to ditch those packs and
flop on the cot springs.
Among our more vivid recollections of Camp
Mills at that time were the never-ending in-
spections, the close-order drills out in the heat
and dust, the open air showers and wash pens,
the merry-go-rounds of clothing issues and
most pleasant of all the occasional visits to
New York. After ten days we folded our
85
tents like the Arabs and silently moved out for
France. We boarded the New Zealand "Speed
Merchantman" Maunganui at night and the
next morning at 1 1 :00 o'clock pulled out for
"over there." No tumult and no shouting;
we were just on our way.
Our "quarters" were a bunch of mess tables,
fifteen feet long and set perpendicular to the
side of the ship and not over a foot apart. Six-
teen men to a table — packs had to go wherever
we could land them. "Reckon we just mess
here," said one buck. "Nope," says another,
"look at the flock of hooks up above." Flock
was good. The rafters which were new and
strong, by necessity it turned out, entertained
a literal forest of hooks. They were set fac-
ing alternate directions. You get a canvas
hammock as we presently discovered and sus-
pend it between two alternate hooks. Every-
body else does the same and pretty soon you're
sardined in like Ring Lardner's traveling
rookie. You wonder how you're ever going
to sleep with your head up and your feet ditto
and two or three heads, pairs of feet or bodies
bumping into you but you do and don't mind
it after a day or so.
That first night out was a wild one. First
thing we knew everybody was "doing it," as
Lieut. Curtiss said when he did his bit for the
fry. Down below, up on deck, everywhere —
soldiers and officers with a large misery in their
stomachs and a huge desire to die. The British
cooking was hard for us to swallow even after
we lost the MAL-DE-MER but the bread and New
Zealand jam was wonderful and we made out
on that.
Max Corrigan started to "drill" his actors
on this trip who afterwards toured certain parts
of France. The show he and some of his
comrades put on on the boat was much en-
joyed by all. But the thing we enjoyed most
of all on the trip was the sight of those old
torpedo boat destroyers coming out to meet
us. When we awoke on the morning of
August I 1 th it was so foggy we could not see
HE AOIMG-
9 • ' *"
but we could distinctly hear the clanging of
fog bells. Glory be! We were in the harbor
safe and sound just below Liverpool. Finally
the fog lifted and we got under way again for
the last stretch up to the dock. An English
boy band played snappy Yank tunes while we
unloaded.
We hiked across Liverpool to the Central
Station and piled into dinky English coaches.
That was the first look most of us had had at
compartment cars. England's garden-like
landscape was a distinct novelty to us also as
we flew over the ground to Southampton. We
reached that city about midnight and imme-
diately set out for the British rest camp near
there. We needed rest when we arrived there
all right but we didn't get much. At 2:00
o'clock the next afternoon we were under way
again for our trip across the English Channel.
All along the way women and children came
out to shake hands with us and wish us God-
speed.
After a hot, tiresome wait in the dock shed
we loaded on to the U. S. S. Harvard which
safely transported us over the most dangerous
part of our journey. When we looked out the
next morning Le Havre was in sight. We un-
loaded there and marched about a dozen kilos,
more or less, to Rest Camp No. I . This camp
was on the highest point of ground in the neigh-
borhood apparently, as we always went up
and never down. It certainly was some job
getting there under full pack.
The following day at about 3:00 o'clock we
left this camp and hiked back through town to
the railroad station where we loaded into
French box cars — the "40 Hommes or 8 Che-
vaux" kind we'd read about. Running on
schedule seemed to be something foreign to
French railroads, hence a delay of five hours
in starting worried them not at all, but at last
we were all set (rather part sitting and part
standing) and left for a training camp "Some-
where in France." After two days in the cars,
during which time we became most intimately
acquainted with Corn Willy and canned toma-
toes and learned how to sleep on the install-
ment plan, we arrived at a little village in Brit-
tany called Messac. There we were billeted
for the next ten days, during which time we
had our full quota of close order drill. In addi-
tion to this there were classes in signaling, fire
control and gunnery which kept us busy until
the time came to go into the artillery training
camp at Coetquidan. We then made our packs
and started hoofing it once more. That noon
we reached Maure, 1 3 kilos distant, pitched
pup tents and slept like logs until morning,
when we started the journey again, arriving at
Camp Coetquidan around noon.
Upon arrival we were assigned to Napoleonic
barracks w^ith concrete and dirt floors. The
first night or two in them were anything but
"downy" ones. A week or so ^vas spent in
continuation of the training started at Messac.
Then we drew a battery of French 75 's and
— 86 —
our real training began. We found that
much of the training received in Custer
was quite different from the French drill
regulation, consequently drills and more
drills were the order of the day. Twice
a ■week we went on the range for prac-
tice in firing signaling, fire control and
camouflage.
September 1 7th, 1918, will always be
remembered as a red letter day in this
period of our training. The battery was
on the range for firing practice and No. 1
gun had been loaded with high explosive
shell. The order was given to fire. There
was a queer flash at the breech and im-
mediately we sensed that something had
gone wrong. It seemed hard to grasp
for a second that about two feet of
the tube — from the breech forward — had
been blown to smithereens. But Corporal
Webber, who was gunner, was lying on
the ground where he had been thrown by
the force of the explosion. Johnson, who
was No. I , was staggering away dazed.
Investigation showed that fragments of the
tube had gone clear through the caisson wall,
tearing several holes in live shells. Noth-
ing short of a miracle kept the whole place
from blowing up. Some of the boys recall
most vividly the sight of the torn-free breech
block rolling back in the dirt. Chief of Sec-
tion McCarty hurried to Corporal Webber's
aid and found he had been but slightly
wounded in the arm by a shell fragment. John-
son suffered nothing worse than a bruised leg.
Thanks to "B" Battery's guardian angel, no
other member of the gun crew was injured,
although all of them felt the force of the ex-
plosion. Collello was No. 2 on this gun crew.
Beck was No. 3, Steinke No. 4 and Thackham
No. 5.
Shortly we drew more horses — not horses
like we had in Custer but old battle-scarred
veterans. They did not look so nice but they
knew their business which was much more im-
portant.
To relieve the tension of training some of the
boys used to make occasional trips to Vinegar
Hill where they partook of the bottled sunshine
of "Sunny France." The night before we went
out on the range for regimental firing problem,
Bustance went over the hill and while there
drank well but not wisely of vin rouge. He
was one of the battery drivers and when he
got back to the barracks someone asked him
what he had done with the "Finucan Valves"
belonging to his harness. Looking very serious,
Bustance said that they had not been issued to
him. Following fluent advice he went on a
search all by himself. Finally, after being
"finucanned" all over the regiment, he found
the Captain who asked him if he was sick and
advised him to go to bed.
While we were here we lost several of our
men through sickness. Corporal Adams, Pri-
vates Kogelshatz and Swayne were sent to the
Battery B's Billets in Font-a-Mousson — An Old Schoolbouse
hospital and did not rejoin the battery before
we left France. Lieut. Fuller Gregson, who
was the idol of Battery B, left us on a transfer
to H. Q. Company. Private Smith was sent to
the hospital and while there died of pneumonia.
Smith was well liked in the battery and his
"Going West" was mourned by all of us.
After eight weeks' training at Coetquidan
we were in shape for the front. "B" Battery,
incidentally, did its full share to help the 329th
make the best qualification record of any
American regiment up to that time. On Octo-
ber 22nd, having loaded everything on the
caissons and escort vsragons, vfe marched to
Guer, transferred the material to flat cars and
stowed ourselves in side-door Pullmans for an-
other two-day trip. On October 24th we ar-
rived at Andelot and hiked to Manois, where
we stayed four days. It was here that Mess
Sergeant Bill Holzer sent out his most famous
wood detail. They came back with a skinny
apple tree which subsequently cost us fifty
francs and beaucoup explaining to an irate
Frenchman.
Next we marched to Rimaucort v*rhere we
entrained for Domgermain. We arrived there
late at night and considered ourselves lucky to
find some empty sand bags on which to sleep.
The following night we witnessed an attempted
air raid on the hospitals near Domgermain.
After several attempts Jerry's planes were
driven off. While here we drew another gun
to take the place of the one destroyed by the
explosion. A big British Handley Page which
alighted near there for gasoline was the sub-
ject of much curious gaze.
We left Domgermain in the afternoon and
that was the last hike we took in daylight until
the armistice w^as signed. After passing
through Toul we struck the main highway
leading to the front. Darkness fell and w^e
were still hiking. We now began to hear the
rumble of big guns in the distance and could
see flashes of light away on the horizon. After
many weary hours of marching we turned off
the main road to the left and were just able to
make out the word Lagney on the signboard.
This was our last night in an inhabited town
— 87
before reaching the front. We were so foot-
sore and weary that we were mighty glad of
a night's rest, be it in a barn or house, on a
bed or on the floor. Lights were now added to
the already long list of things we had to do
without as they might assist the enemy in locat-
ing us. The next evening we continued our
march after a very hasty supper.
The road from now on was packed with a
constant steam of trucks, autos and am-
bulances going to and from the front. Along
side the road was a narrow-gauge railroad for
"The Horse is a Tonr-IieggeS. Animal"
carrying ammunition up to the lines. On and
on we marched through village and hamlet.
The night was dark and we could just make
out bare walls but we were told that they had
once been villages before Hun shell fire w^recked
them. Here and there between the villages
we could distinguish camouflage erected to
protect traffic from enemy observation.
At last the word was passed down that we
were to turn off into a field. We were warned
to look out for shell holes. In this field we
pitched shelter tents and got a few^ hours' sleep.
Before turning in we were told that everything
would have to be concealed in the woods near
by before daylight. Accordingly about 4:00
a. m. we struck tents, hitched in and pulled
the materiel into the woods known as the
Bois de Mort Mare.
This day we had an opportunity to explore
a little and, as the Germans had only been
driven out of these woods a short while before,
we found many things of interest — dug-outs
made of concrete and steel, ammunition, nar-
row-gauge tracks running in all directions and
also a number of American graves.
On November 2nd in the early morning.
Captain Frazier and Corporal Ackerman
mounted their horses and set out to reconnoitre
for our gun positions. It is needless to say that
a thrill went through all of us at the news —
for we would soon be taking an active part
in the big show. We were kept in touch v^'ith
the outside world by a Red Cross auto which
brought us papers every day, such as the Eng-
lish "Daily Mail" and the Paris edition of the
"New York Herald." These papers were dis-
tributed free to the boys and it was some treat
to get them.
Upon the return of Captain Frazier and
Corporal Ackerman the order was given for
four gun squads and the battery commanders'
detail to get ready at once as we were to go
into position that night. What a night it was,
too, dark and damp and dreary! The ground
was just a mass of greasy mud and it took all
the strength of the men as well as the horses
to get the guns and caissons out of the woods.
There was Ikey Klein joking as usual and
Bustance having a terrible time fixing his
horse's gas mask. "Mess Kit Mike" had all
his work cut out, making his hands obey his
wishes and his teeth beat a continuous tattoo.
The whole outfit was keyed up to concert pitch
and that trip will live in our memories as long
as memory lasts.
We passed through some heaps of wreck-
age which had once been towns and here and
there could detect evidences of human habita-
tion from slivers of light escaping through
cracks in the walls. Finally w^e came to the
ruined town of Thiaucourt. We had to stop
and turn around after crossing the wrong
bridge and were glad we did as Jerry started
dropping shells there not 1 5 minutes later. At
last we were halted in front of what was to
be our first gun position. As we stood there
we heard a gas alarm and in double quick time
had our gas masks on, realizing suddenly that
"drill-time" was a thing of the past and that
from now on a gas alarm meant business. We
also heard big boche shells, facetiously known
as "G. 1. Cans," whining by on their way to
Thiaucourt, where we had been such a short
time before.
Unless a man has done it himself it is hard
to realize what a difficult proposition getting
a battery into a new position on a pitch black
night is. We sure had our share of difficulties
but acting under Captain Frazier's excellent in-
structions, and Lieutenant Curtiss' co-opera-
tion, we got located in very reasonable time.
Lieutenant Goble gave his personal opinion of
Sgt. Himelhoch says: "Our modest young
first sergeant, Charles H. Price, claims that he
never was an adept pupil of Isaac Walton's, but
since seeing him fishing for that wrist watch
that he accidentally dropped overboard, I'm of
the opinion that he's an expert at the old game."
the war when one of the teams got tangled up
in a mass of barbed wire. It took some time
to extricate them but they were unhurt and
all the damage done was a broken pole on
the limber.
Most of us had a taste of the sensation of
stepping on nothing and finally finding one's
self down in a shell hole or at the bottom of
a trench. While the guns were being put into
position it was quiet but just after the horses
— 88-
were sent back, both sides started a barrage.
At this time Captain Frazier with his assistants
were figuring firing data and it was tough
sledding keeping their thoughts on the figures
and not on the possibility of a Fritzie shell
having their name on it. The next morning
brought strange and wonderful tales to the re-
mainder of the battery stationed in the woods.
One of the horses was reported to have "gone
west" either from gas, overwork or heart fail-
ure. The firing battery was reported to have
been badly gassed and various other calamities
A question still unsettled in our minds: Does
the sound of (lying shells c>->>ate a fainting sen-
sation? Ask Sgt. Baiter. He knows.
were presumed to have occurred, but for-
tunately everything was O. K. By the next
night the gun crews were fairly well set.
The men who were left in the woods acted
each night as ammunition carriers — under the
command of Lieutenant Goble — and several
times came closer _ to bursting shells than was
calculated to be good for the health. Night
after night the ammunition detail came up to
the guns and were never heard to complain
but they were sure glad to get back to Bouillion-
ville where they had moved from the woods.
Every day Corporal Tripp or Corporal Eag-
ling guided up such men as were needed at
the guns — camouflage men, telephone men,
etc. Every afternoon Fritz would start put-
ting over shells (mostly gas) and frequently
our meals were interrupted by gas alarms.
The part we played at this position was largely
a waiting game which was a great deal harder
than being actually engaged in firing, especial-
ly with big shells coming over from a distance
out of our range.
The gas was the worst thing we had to con-
tend with and at first we were all very careful
to get our masks on at the first hint of it.
Tommy Dale well remembers the rainy day
when he sat down by an open can of carbide,
put on his gas mask and kept it on for an
hour, thinking that acetylene gas was chlorine.
About the softest job was Sergeant Ed.
Davey's. Why, ALL he had to do was keep the
blooming gas away and see that there were
guards out day and night. Those guards of
Ed's were so darned good that we used to
sleep with our gas masks on — sometimes.
At this time Dreyfus, Watling, "Pansy"
Burns, Nowlen and the ex-Mayor of Jonesville,
Deal, were on detached service doing telephone
work at the first battalion headquarters. Chas.
Herman's first night at the valley was a corker.
We were all in our bunks in an old German
bunk-house half way up the hill. The big
guns were sending over occasional messages
to Fritz, each time shaking the hill. Herman
was a little nervous but as the messages were
going not coming, he felt reasonably safe, until
Fritz began to return the compliment. We
would lie there and listen to them whiz over
our heads — a-t e-a-s-e — Rest ! Soon they be-
gan to strike closer and one hit just near
enough to throw gravel over our roof. Her-
man sat up quickly and bang! his head and
the ceiling met. Herm was determined to
move out but we finally persuaded him to stay
in our hotel a while longer.
There is a story told of Sergeant Nate Bai-
ter that he was given to making the following
remarks (kindly take into consideration that
anything like a protracted period of work al-
ways rests heavily on Nate's mind, making
him not exactly responsible for what he said) :
"By golly, 1 don't want this job. Never
wanted to be sergeant. Going to get the Cap-
tain to bust me," etc,, etc. Ritter took on
some sort of commanding status, for as the
shells began to drop around his piece he would
say, "All right, boys, two steps to the left,
for they will change their deflection that much
on the next shot." And everyone would obey
Ask the "Rag Sarge," Sid Light, if he really
saw the statue of Joan d'Arc on the hill at
Pont-a-Mousson? His sister disagrees with him,
undoubtedly.
him even to Lieutenant Curtiss. Also as they
were digging their gun in all were cheered by
Rit's pleasant remarks, "It's all for our own
good, boys." And the picks and shovels
would move faster than ever. Ah I here comes
a little German up the valley. No, we are
wrong; it is only a pair of German boots with
"Shorty" Kobel in them. Andie Neubecker
with his faithful assistants, Withey, Hamel and
Westrom, sure gave us some good meals con-
sidering the difficulties under which they
worked. The machine gun crews, under Cor-
porals Manchester and Barrett were active most
of the time and fired on several enemy air-
craft.
Slippery "Whitey" Larkins entirely on his
own policed up a German machine gun and
fired on an American plane luckily without
damage. This same Whitey was the bug who
found a boche 77 and came back for a team
of horses to bring it in.
We almost neglected to state that it was
Gustafson's gun crew, on No. 4, that fired the
first seventy-fiver for B.
It was Thursday night when old Battery B
put over a nice little barrage, and it sure did
look pretty — the flash of the guns in the dusk
of twilight, the hurrying figures, the firing
punch. Just after this our horses arrived —
escorted by the best bunch of drivers who ever
drew rein and the battery started moving to its
second position. As we crossed the bridge
at Thiaucourt Jerry put one over and a frag-
ment struck Larson in the knee. He was in
— 89
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PROF. KEEPINSTEP, THE AUSTRIAM
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ATTACHABLE DESK IMPROVEP BY
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REVEILLE MECHANICAL SPEED
ORESSER-— PLANS BYCORP.Upp
he claims it will easily '
let you make reveille from
The 'march'
MEETING THE EMERGENCY OF
TME FRENCH BOX-CAR. CapT CrowDEM
saw the POSSIBILITY OF THe'oPRIOHT
COT. "HE NOW HOLDS THE RECORD OF
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SANE BULLET OFTEN KILLS THE
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Cut YOUR OWN HAIR WITH THIS
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a Ffahc* PbsnPAlO.
— 90 —
considerable pain but refused to go on the
escort wagon until we were outside of the
town. "This is not a healthy place to stop,"
he said.
Our second position was about a kilo the
other side of Thiaucourt and the guns had to
be placed along a road which was in full sight
of four enemy observation balloons. All
around were badly shelled remnants of battery
positions. But here again all went well until
the horses had been sent back, when bang!
bang! bang! bang! four shells struck at regu-
lar intervals just the other side of the road
from where our men were busily engaged erect-
ing camouflage nets for the pieces. Guisbert,
who was resting for a bit, received a wound in
the neck from a piece of shell which cut
through the collar of his overcoat. Had it
struck a scant two inches further back we
would have had another game lad to mourn.
The same shell played hob with Jarosz's pack
lying near.
Just in the rear of the guns was a ditch
which came in very handy as a ducking place
when shells came over. Its presence accounted
for the periodic disappearance of several mem-
bers of the gun crews. After this the shells
did not come so close but could be heard
tearing the air up all night. The following
day, after digging in had been completed,
the guns were adjusted on Mont Plasir
Farm. In the afternoon we received a few
more messages from Fritz but no damage
was done. The next days were quiet —
except for the nightly "serenades" of Thia-
court where the Battery Commander and de-
tail were located — and then came the World's
Greatest Event. Here is a good place to put
in the Gun squads and different Details as they
were lined up at the front.
First Gun Squad Sgt. Seefeld, chief of section:
Corp, Ackerman, gunner; Jasper, No. I ; Finucan,
No. 2; Hughson, No. 3; Sunday, No. 4; Kelly, No. 5;
Vickers; Mackie, Ckas.
Second Gun Squad Sgt. Baiter, chief of section:
Corp. Sullivan, gunner; Little, No. 1; Lutton, No. 2;
Goldberg, No. 3; Frey, No. 4; Mackie, John, No. 5;
Steinke; Moore.
Third Gun Squad Sgt. McCarty, chief of section;
Corp. Reiger, gunner; McKinnon, No. I ; Wilson,
No. 2; Sanford, No. 3; Nelson, No. 4; Saari, No. 5;
Sherwood; Kramer.
Fourth Gun Squad — Sgt. Gustafson, chief
tion; Corp. Ritter, gunner; Vincent, No. 1
mann. No. 2; Kennedy, Roy, No. 3; Shelton
Horton, No. 5; Beck.
Instrument Detail Ins. Sgt. A.
Larson, C. S. Neithercut.
R. Da
of sec-
Rosz-
No. 4;
G. H.
Zorp. Manchester,
.-ewis, Butler, Doolen.
^orp.
Machine Gun Crews-
Barrett, Hershberger, Le
Telephone Detail — Tel. Sgt. L. F. Armstrong, Corp.
Se^vard, Corp. Herman, Gorp. Hartog, Privates 1 st
Class Wooster, Hall, Guisbert, Brinkman, Coffman,
Kobe), Deal, Watling, Dreyfus, Lee, Dale, Nowlen,
Geo. Burns.
sec-
1; Nan-
4; Mc-
sec-
No. 2;
No. 5;
Reserve Gun Squad*
Fifth Gun Squad — Sgt. Davey, chief of section
Corp. Cuinner, gunner; Kennedy, D. C, No. I ; Roe,
No. 2; Vaughn, No. 3; Paavola, No. 4; Eisenberg,
No. 5; Kotlier; Creighton.
Sixth Gun Squad Sgt. Himelhock, chief of
tion; Corp. Honsinger, gunner; Meyers, No.
kervis. No. 2; Bruner, No. 3; Patrick, No.
Causey, No. 5; Aseltine; Chait.
Seventh Gun Squad — Corp. Sharick, chief of
tion; Cook, gunner; Webber, No. I; Jackson,
Olmstead, No. 3; Lutey, No. 4; Ulshafer,
Steiner; Calesnik.
Eighth Gun Squad — Pvt. Scanlon, chief of section;
McDonald, gunner; Johnson, No. 1; Kneeland, No. 2;
Marble, No. 3; Vargo, No. 4; Van Spyker, No. 5;
Hawkins; Travers.
Can you look back to that memorable date
and hour and review your thoughts when the
sound of the guns was suddenly stopped and
in its place we heard the music of the 55 th
Band, parading the streets of Bouillionville?
Most of the men thought of home, "perhaps"
there were a few up at the guns who thought
more about getting some hot water for a shave
than anything else. Incidentally hot water to
shave with w^as some luxury at that stage of the
game. After two weeks of getting up at all
hours of the day and night the idea of a night's
sleep without interruption was hard to believe.
But on the night of November 1 1 th most of us
had one whole night's sleep. You may believe
it or not, but that night it was hard to sleep —
it was so deathly still and silent.
About 11:30 p. m., November 12th, the
top sergeant came in with the welcome news
that everyone was to turn out and go up after
the guns. We say welcome news because it
was welcomed by about every cuss word in the
soldier's vocabulary, which is quite extensive
and fitting for any and all occasions such as
this one. The news was received in the same
good humor at the guns, where most of the
boys had found their first good place to sleep
in two weeks. But of course everyone turned
out and helped to get the guns back to the
echelon. We arrived at daybreak, ready for
a nice little nap as soon as we had eaten of
Sergeant Holzer's appetizing breakfast which
was waiting for us. But no such luck. We
were ordered to pack all our possesions and be
ready to hike at 7:30 P. D. Q. Were we down-
hearted ? No !
We left Bouillionville at the specified time
and marched all day through mile and miles of
fields that were a maze of trenches and barbed
wire — Jerry's old fortifications which he had
once thought impregnable but which the
doughboys had taken in three days — and at
dusk of a beautiful day arrived at the war-torn
town of Pont-a-Mousson on the Moselle River.
Here we were to spend a three months' stay
that none of us will ever forget; for we had
good billets in an old school house which had
been closed on account of lack of business and
too much of Jerry's artillery.
•91
The first few days were spent in turning in
all the horses and some of the extra equipment;
and from then on we began to prepare to go
HOME — new clothing, shoes, etc., were issued
and we felt sure we w^ould be on our way by
Christmas. However we soon found that get-
ting home was not the quickest and easiest
thing in the world. For a time we were dis-
appointed but this soon disappeared through
the simple application of Squads East and
West and equal parts of "Right five" and "100
metres more." Also occasional doses of road
hikes with packs.
For recreation we had but very little at first
except to sit in our rooms and talk or write.
But soon the Y. W. C. A. arrived and the
Chaplain established a recreation room which
was a big help. The Salvation Army was
right on the job as usual. Through Captain
Frazier's efforts, we got hold of an old riding
hall and were the first to fix this up for indoor
games of various sorts. Later we turned the
loft of a stable adjoining us into a recreation
hall. With such activities — and the additional
in and out door sports of hustling wood — we
did not have much time to get homesick. We
also had the task of helping police up the
town; and it was at Pont-a-Mousson that our
P. G. force first put into effect the well known
challenge of the A. E. F. : "Halt! Who's
tliere?" Answer: Friend with a bottle of
cognac." Command: "Advance, 'friend,'
and draw the cork." It was here that friend
Sullivan tried to shoot down the moon in order
to present it to a fair mademoiselle of his ac-
quaintance. It was here also that some of the
boys wore the seat of their trousers shiny on
the local (it certainly wasn't a limited) fire de-
partment.
Max Corrigan trotted out his troupe of
Royal Entertainers, after the aforesaid riding
hall was turned into a Hippodrome, and
cinched the place of Battery "B's" theatrical
troupe as one of the best in the A. E. F. Max
had been training his charges ever since the
trip over, and from Coetquidan on, presented
a number of very successful plays and special-
ties, among them "A Night in Modern Min-
strelsy" and "The New Judge." Harry Gold-
berg, John Jasper, D. C. Kennedy, George
O'Jibway, John F. Scanlan, Orville Luft, John
A. Schmitt, Floyd Strehl, "Barney" Kobel, Joe
Fox, Bernard Ritter, and that whale of a little
man, Jimmie Donnelly, were all shining lights.
Ray Torrey made some leading "lady" and
Max himself starred as director and performer.
All these boys deserve credit for their hard
work and the "bit" they added to Battery
"B's" fame.
Perhaps the one event that will linger long-
est in our minds was the Christmas celebration
at Pont-a-Mousson. We were able to secure
nuts, apples, grapes, cigars and cigarettes to
give everyone a good portion, thanks to the
Captain and the best little Mess Sergeant of
them all. Bill Holzer. The Chaplain, Captain
Bowen and Captain Brady were with us at the
dinner and it was some feed. All our officers
spoke and Captain Brady sang — we'll never
forget that song. Corrigan ■was there again
with his show troupe, among them Mile. Fa-
tima, and the evening was altogether a happy
one.
Shortly after this Captain Frazier was taken
ill with appendicitis and was removed to the
hospital at Toul for an operation. He came
up smiling in Battery "B" style. 1st Lieuten-
ant Sargent was B. C. during part of his ab-
Artillery Caisson Son^
I
Over hill, over dale,
A» we hit the dutty trail —
And the caissons go rolling along
In an out, hear them shout,
Countermarch! and Right about!
And those caissons go rolling along.
II
Oh, it's Hi! Hi! Hee! for the Field Artilleree!
Shout out your numbers loud and strong!
Where'er you go — you will always kno«r
That the caissons are rolling along.
(Shouted) KEEP THEM ROLLING!
That the caissons are rolling along.
Battery, HALT!
Ill
Through the storm, through the night,
Action left and action right —
And the caissons go rolling along.
Limber front, limber rear.
Prepare to mount, you cannoneer !
And those caissons go rolling along.
sence and 1 st Lieutenant Curtiss the rest.
About this time also, we acquired two "dove-
tails" from Saumur — Sergeant C. M. Eddy,
formerly of the 3 1 0th Train, and Sergeant
Wm. R. Melton, formerly of Battery "A." The
latter subsequently became editor of "The
Barrage."
After Christmas came the horses again; and
for two weeks we stood to heel and groomed.
We even w^ent so far as to give them a bath
and a nocturnal hair cut before the memorable
trip to Domgermain when we darned near
ruined them turning in the guns and equip-
ment. About February I st a reliable report
came that we were soon to start for home.
Pistols were kissed goodbye, so were the rub-
ber boots and all surplus equipment was turned
in. The horses were taken over for keeps to
the 7th Division.
On February 1 1 th all were aroused at an
extra early hour by our old friend Colly playing
that does-get-em-up tune of his. The night had
been exceptionally chilly so shoes, overcoat
and hat were about all the clothes necessary
to put on. After roll call a few instructions
were delivered which ran something like this:
1st. Fall out in five minutes with mess kits for
breakfast. 2nd. After breakfast make up rolls.
— 92 —
3rd. Carry mattresses down-stairs, roll them
tight and put in a pile with the rest. 4th. Pull
fires and clean all stoves. 5 th. Clean up all
rooms. 6th. Fill canteens with WATER.
Bill's breakfast was an exceptionally good
one and the aforementioned duties were per-
formed with a snap. We took all the stoves
possible along with us, left by truck for Drieu-
lard and immediately set up stoves for a long
ramble in the box cars. It is reported that
"Fat" Morrish was rather fearful the fuel in
his car would not last out the journey. So,
after some very careful investigations he lo-
cates a car of what he thought was coal. He
scrouged several bags of it — without a word
from the M. P.s or the French officials — and
was not elated when it turned out to be stone.
This trip was the most pleasant one we ever
took in box cars in spite of snappy weather;
and, after a two-day and two-night ride, we de-
trained at Besse-sur-Braye. Then we learned
there was a nice hike ahead of us. Our packs
were to be carried for us, so we made a long
roll of our blankets, horseshoed them and
made Ecorpain before midnight. Some of the
boys with two suits of underwear on found this
journey a trifle warm. The rations we had
brought along were next distributed and we
were assigned to our billets — barn lofts or any-
thing. The little village of Ecorpain (called
by the boys Ache or Pain) is composed of
about 500 souls and is one of the nicest, clean-
est little villages that we were in in France. It
is about 7 kilos from St. Calais and 38 kilos
from Le Mans.
We remained here about five days, going
through the usual routine of foot drills, etc..
Sorry that vre did not get a picture of 2nd
Lieut. Goble before he left for the A. of O.
under the command of 1 st Lieutenant Curtiss.
Captain Frazier had not yet recovered suffi-
ciently from his operation to be back with the
battery. Lieutenant Ackert made a generous
To^vn Major with the assistance of Sergeant
"Blackie" Daw. Then we moved about 15
kilos to Sarge. 1 st Lieutenant Sargent's con-
ducting speed was just to our liking on this
trip. Sarge is a rather sleepy little village lo-
cated on a railroad and bisected by a river.
We all had pretty fair billets here and the
French people were certainly nice to us.
Thanks to Lieutenant Ackert a number of the
men enjoyed French feather beds. In passing
we must not forget the bath house which was
operated gratis by our old friends, Withey,
Alabam Shelton, and Charlie Haight.
It was here that our "Rag" Sergeant, Sid
Light, the Saginaw Kid, came perilously near
issuing a crop of cooties with some supplies he
got. Bill's adoption of a mess hall was free
and easy here as we ate out under the sunny
skies which generally rained. On Saturday
March 1st we proceeded to St. Calais, billeted
there over night and started on with the regi-
ment the next morning for Nuille-le-Jolais. We
passed everything on the road this trip, making
the 23 kilos in jig time and A- 1 shape. Hiking
without packs was very nearly a treat; Major
Lothrop was in charge of this whole trip, and
he sure made it slide easy.
We made Camp D'Auvours, otherwise
known as the Belgian Camp, shortly after noon
and were quartered in fairly respectable bar-
racks. This was the place where we got our
first taste of eating on the fly (those four line
mess halls were sure a wonder) and our first
glimpse of decent weather. After sundry in-
spections, we left on the 9 th for the Le Mans
entraining camp, got a cup of bon hot choco-
late and some cookies from the "Y" and en-
trained in the rain for Brest. The sight of
American box cars gave us the idea that maybe
we could sleep once in side-door Pullmans.
But 5 3 men to a car brought on the same old
nightmare of hobnails in your face, nether ex-
tremities over your chest and weighted drowsi-
ness in your feet.
The day we pulled into Brest was one of the
three hundred and thirty wet ones they have
there every year, but our spirits refused to be
dampened as we thought of boarding a home-
bound transport next day. We did like fun.
We stacked our packs in a long shed, went
through another of those marvelous A. E. F.
kitchens for some slum, etc., and toot sweet
set out for a long grind up the hill to our last
overseas camp. The folks back home didn't
need to worry about this camp — it was a Yan-
kee engineering feat par excellence when we
hit there whatever it may have been as French
mud. But it was no rest camp. Work was
going on day and night and our battery fur-
nished its full quota of details. What with being
deloused, inspected, rehearsed for the boat
entree, etc., we had no time for homesickness.
While at Camp Pontanezan we were scared
out of nearly seven years' growth by reports
of the things we could not do or say without
landing in a labor battalion. Rumors that we
should not say anything against the ancient
order of M. P.s or make slighting remarks
about frogland were religiously respected.
Finally after the last pack inspection made
on the run through the big inspecting mill, the
great day came and we trudged silently down
to the dock — everyone as shaved and shined
up and happy as ■we could ever recollect hav-
ing been. There had occurred however one
accident that marred the occasion for all of us.
Our beloved little Irishman, Jimmie Donnelly,
had broken his leg the night before in a
friendly little scuffle. We hated to leave him
even more than he hated to stay.
We reached the dock before noon and
blessed the Red Cross again when they handed
us some goodies and a pair of wool socks. The
— 93
order to load came promptly and we marched
out in gangplank formation, calling our first
name and initial as we stepped up to that
longed-for plank. The boat was only a lighter
but we knew we were headed for the Leviathan
and there was music in our hearts and on the
dock. We boarded the greatest ship in the
world shortly before noon. We will not at-
tempt description of her here as she is to be
carefully "covered" in another section of the
book. Instead we will take up our duties on
the boat which were many and laborious.
"Army" (Sergeant Leighton F. Armstrong)
was put in charge of the Mess hall detail. ("B"
Battery was assigned the job of dishing out
chow to the 12,274 men on board.) All this
detail had to do was: I. Set up all the tables.
2. Act as ushers and traffic cops. 3. Feed the
wounded. 4. Wash the wounded's dishes. 5.
Clean garbage from all tables after meals and
empty same. 6. Wash all tables. 7. Scrub
their legs. 8. Put tables away. 9. Sweep the
floor. 1 0. Mop the floor. 1 1 . Scrub the walls
and pillars. 1 2. Keep the port-holes clean.
1 3. Do the above to the mess hall lobby.
In addition we had sixty men on the provi-
sion detail working under Sergeants Doyle and
Light, a bunch of "Garbage" men under Ser-
geant Ed Davy, etc., etc. Hark, we seem to
hear those commands: "Take it with you,
take it with you!" "What?" "The garbage."
Or again, "Don't forget it, men, don't
forget it." We can see old Scanlon yet,
running around with his megaphone prompt-
ing the large army on board to take it
with them. There is old Patrick standing
there directing Jack to his place or Ikey
Kline sending someone for candy on April
Fool's Day. That always smiling, agreeable,
little chap, Leon Hall, held sway in the lobby,
assisted by Guisbert from Gilford, Shorty
Kobel, etc. "Hot stuff coming through. Gang-
way!" By golly here comes "silent" Mounds-
ville and his sidekick with another ton of gar-
bage. In the kitchen Bolsheviki Lenhardt,
hardworking little Flood and Whitey Meyers
steaming industriously over the grub.
We went at it all with the old "B" Battery
pep and spirit and won new laurels for the
organization. The Captain of the ship sent the
following report to the Commanding General:
"It is desired to call attention to the excellent
manner in which the messing arrangements
have been carried out by the troops now on
board. The first meal was handled better than
has ever been done heretofore, there being no
confusion and the whole system being appar-
ently understood by everyone concerned. The
successful way in which this messing has been
handled is due to the ability and co-operation
of the Mess Officer (Captain Frazier) and his
assistants. Please accept on behalf of the ship
our appreciation of the strict attention to duty
and earnest co-operation which has brought
about this excellent result." By way of infor-
mation we might state that we made a new rec-
ord on this trip, feeding 11,000 men in 80
minutes, or a man to every half second.
The Chief Steward spoke personally to our
men before they left the boat and gave them
the sort of puff that makes any kind of hard
work worth while.
We were less than six days on the trip, leav-
ing the harbor at Brest March 26th and arriv-
ing at Hoboken April 2nd at 1 I a. m. Say,
folks, but that old Statue of Liberty did look
good! One of the unfortunate events of the
voyage was that our old friend the painter,
Charlie Haight, was taken sick and had to be
transferred to the hospital.
"B" Battery had to stay on board and clean
up the Mess Hall after the rest had disem-
barked, hand out another meal and then clean
up again, but we finally came down that old
gangplank of our dreams and marched up the
dock for the L. 1. Ferry. At the Long Island
station we got a special train for Camp Mills.
"Shades of the immortal Homer, look at the
cars!" says Jay J. Deal. "They're civilized!"
Things did not look familiar when we reached
Camp Mills — some modern Aladdin had trans-
formed the sea of tents into a city of neat green
barracks — but even the cots without mattresses
looked good there.
At 4:15 a. m. the next morning we were
ordered out for another delousing, were
fitted with new clothes in spots and went back
to a session of liberal passes, augmented chow
and the first real rest we'd had in the army.
Nevertheless we were all hilariously happy
when the two weeks and a day rolled by and
we wended our way back to Custer and home
in REAL Pullman style. We were asked in
Camp Mills if we wanted to parade in Detroit,
and just so the folks will know our real reason
for refusing we want to say — it was because
our love for carrying packs was a thing of the
dim past.
But stay, we cannot "fineesh" this history
without a word or two about old Dan Horn-
beck, the demon battery clerk. Dan went clear
through the endless tangle of red tape and de-
tail which was the army with less fuss and
furore than any battery clerk we ever saw. He
treated every man alike and he survived more
questions than Jonah on his return from thfi
whale — always with patience and cheerful-
ness. By golly, we appreciated Old Dan, too !
SERGEANT A. R. DAW, Battery Editor.
Assisted by Deal, Price, Sharick, Light, Her-
man and Melton.
94 —
Do you remember back so many years ago
that first day in September, you started out to
school so bravely and yet with so much trepi-
dation? Do you remember how early that
morning your mother carefully brushed your
clothes, combed out the tousled shock of hair,
gave your necktie a loving little pat, and after
closely scrutinizing you, softly kissed you on
the forehead, while tears started to her eyes as
she realized her baby was no longer here! He
was fast growing to a man ! Then you marched
so stiffly down the street towards the little red
schoolhouse, conscious that the eyes of the
whole town were upon you.
Such was the feeling of Recruits Berry, Hew-
itt, De Laura, Vaytao, Shoemaker, Stewart,
Garvalia and eight others, that fifth morning
in September, 1917. They were of the orig-
inal five per cent draft, an untried feature in
American history. Assembling at their re-
spective local boards in Detroit, they were
transported to the Armory and joined by about
1 70 others. After having their personal bag-
gage checked and all arrangements made for
the trip, the entire bunch went over to Al
Smith's Lunch Room on Cadillac Square and
had their last lunch as civilians. We have no
doubt but that every single one of them or-
dered a big portion of "ham and." Leaving
there with a band leading, the march was con-
tinued to Jefferson Ave., thence west to Wood-
ward and up Woodward to Elizabeth. Here
D. U. R. cars were in readiness and after
boarding them, the boys ■were taken to the
Michigan Central Station, which place they left
at one o'clock sharp, amid the cheers, good-
byes, and God-speeds of an immense crowd of
relatives and friends.
It would be hard to describe the expressions
on the various faces or to picture the diversity
of feelings among that little band of fifteen,
the nucleus of Battery C. What did the future
hold for them? How soon before they would
be ready to send overseas to face the Hun?
5attery Q
Would any of them become noncoms or would
they even aspire to a commission? Such ques-
tions naturally kept revolving in their minds
and created that atmosphere of uncertainty
and expectancy which always surrounds any
untried venture or experience — such as is cre-
ated by that first day at school.
Arriving at Camp Custer, then began that
memorable hike, with suit cases, grips and
other appendages, up the "Big Hill." 'Twas
a long, hard pull for most of them, the day be-
ing hot and uncomfortable and the baggage
heavy. Then at the top of the hill before their
view lay the uncompleted Custer, barracks
under all stages of construction. Piles of lum-
ber and all kinds of building material lay
strewn around. It was not an inspiring sight
at that time and little did anyone dream that
ten months of their lives would be spent within
its limits.
Upon reaching the receiving station, the en-
tire crowd were steered thru the various exam-
inations and inspections and given the choice
of the branch of service they wished. Natu-
rally some chose artillery and representatives
of the various batteries were there to pick out
their assigned number. Lieutenants Carrico
and Dickie selected as their recruits our orig-
inal fifteen who formed the basis of Battery
C. That evening after being issued bed sacks,
two blankets, tow^els, soap and messkits, they
were marched up to Barracks 399 and after
supper served by civilian cooks, the first night
was spent under military rule as soldiers of
Uncle Sam's great army. One of the worst
electrical storms of the summer swept over
camp that night and the new barracks rattled
and shook as tho the elements were trying to
annihilate both building and occupants.
The next few days were spent in getting ac-
quainted with our officers thru means of per-
sonal interviews. Our Battery Commander was
Captain C. A. Baxter and our Lieutenants,
Ackert, Carrico, Watts, Jones and Dickie.
■ 95 —
Battery "C" — Taken at Camp Mills
Shortly after Lieutenants Watts and Jones were
transferred to Camp Green, and we acquired
Lieutenants Booth and Sheffield in their places.
Later Lieutenants Booth, Ackert and Carrico
were taken from us and Lieutenants Gay and
Casey ^vere assigned.
About this time also, we were "shot." When
writing about those "shots in the arm," what
shall we say to describe them adequately!
With fiendish delight those medics jabbed
long slender needles into our tender flesh and
pumped oodles of unknown mixtures thru our
veins! Then we were vaccinated and very
soon both arms began to ache and stiffen up
on us. Many were the ohs and ouches and
even stronger when someone ran against an-
other's arm. And it seemed that such pleas-
ure was derived from our tortures that the
operations were thrice repeated. The only
grim humor we could get out of it was the
thought that our friends to follow would get
the same treatment. Misery loves company,
you know.
After clearing the decks for action, as it
were, we were instructed in the rudiments of
foot drill. The step from a raw recruit to a
finished soldier is a long one and the boys all
realized it was necessary for them to be initi-
ated into the mysteries of many military
secrets.
Stocks of clothing, shoes and other neces-
sary military apparel had not been shipped in
in large enough quantities and many a soldier
wore parts of his civilian clothing for weeks
after his induction into the army because of
inadequate supply. At first, our army was a
nondescript one from a clothing point, be-
cause of lack of uniformity.
About the fifteenth of September, our bat-
tery was transferred to Barracks 4 1 6. One can
imagine fifteen fellows playing "Pussy wants a
corner," in a building built to accommodate
two hundred. In fact they were absolutely lost
in the big barracks, but not for long, as, on
Sept. 1 9 and 20, they were joined by sixty new
men. From then on hard work was the sched-
More of Battery "C" — Fhoto Taken at Same Time.
— 96 —
ule. Drilling, building roads and assisting in
clearing up the camp was the order of the day.
Guard mount was a most amusing spectacle
at first. Hardly any of the recruits had even
heard of such a thing and many are the com-
ical incidents told. There were fourteen posts
widely scattered. Every battery had its turn
at standing guard and Battery C generally
drew a rainy, disagreeable day. The ground
was in especially bad condition and one day
while Dibble and Smith were on guard, they
fell in a big bog hole, getting soaked from
head to foot and plastered with mud. And it
would take some hole to cover big Smitty !
Guarding the electric railway station was a
soft, easy job! All one had to do was to search
every inbound person for whiskey or liquor of
any kind. Some bootleggers were caught, but
we have our doubts if much evidence ever
reached the guardhouse.
On October 3 1 , forty-four of our men were
transferred to Waco, Texas, to join regiments
there that were training for immediate over-
seas service. This left only about thirty men
to carry on all the work. As there were no
stables connected with 416, it was again neces-
sary on Nov. 1st to move to 1290, a distance
of about two miles. Then it took time to get
comfortably located and settled, and much the
same work of clearing the surrounding grounds
had to be done over again. Preparatory to re-
ceiving horses, the stables and corrals had to
be arranged and gotten in order. In the mean-
time another bunch of recruits joined us Nov.
19 and 20, and we greatly welcomed their
presence, as we knew they would relieve us of
much K. P. work and other arduous duties.
Thanksgiving Day was a day of big feasts,
real turkey, cranberries — an' everything. The
meals served were a reminder of home, be-
cause of quantity and also quality. The day
was mostly spent in resting. Our dining room
had been newly painted and with appropriate
decorations presented a festive appearance.
A number of civilian visitors helped us to cele-
brate.
On December 1 2, the long-looked-for
horses arrived, a sort of advance Christmas
present. And they were beauties, too, 1 64 of
the wildest, head shy, hard kicking and sharp
biting, four-legged animals that ever graced
(or rather disgraced) the name of horse. To
say the least, we had our hands full. Then
work in earnest began and a certain amount of
fun too, that is watching the other fellow hav-
ing troubles with his pair. Did you ever, when
you were stable police, stick your head inside
the stable door, and rattle a can of oats? In-
stantly pandemonium reigns. It was worth
a persons' life to feed those hungry brutes at
four o'clock of a winter's morning. One would
imagine, to hear such a bedlam of noise, that
they had not been fed for weeks, instead of
the night before. We often tried to solve the
secret of sneaking up on 'em in the dark, but it
still remains a mystery.
What a delight it was to plough thru snow
waist high in places, over to the stables to feed
and water our pets! Do you remember how
everyone ran to get the job of breaking the ice
in the watering trough? And after feeding
had been properly looked after, what a regular
grooming by detail they got! Then came har-
nessing and saddling. What an occupation for
a bunch of ex-chauffeurs, machinists, and
others, who knew not a hame strap from a hay
rake or the near from the off horse! Still our
officers took kindly to us raw recruits and soon
had us fashioned after a shape into drivers.
Practice makes perfect and so by working
every day at these things we began to grasp
their meaning and use with intelligence.
Capt. Curtiss A. Baxter
Some of the boys thought they were regular
cowboys and bronco busters and volunteered
to break the ponies. They soon found to their
sorrow that it was more difficult to stick on
than they had imagined. Many times they
found themselves catapulting thru the air and
generally landed head first in a deep snow
bank. Another aggravating thing was that
when someone did get a horse nicely broken it
was picked off by some noncom or lieutenant
for his own personal use.
In the meantime, it snowed. Will we ever
forget the quantity of beautiful, white, feathery
substance which fell the winter of I 9 I 7- 1 9 I 8 ?
Seemed as tho it would never stop falling. We
would no sooner get several miles of road
shoveled when down another storm would
sweep upon us, until along every road moun-
tedns of shoveled snow lay in heaps. That
• 97 —
little gully leading to the stables was full to the
brim each morning.
And then the coal pile! Did any boilers
ever consume so much coal as those we fed
last winter? Why we just jumped from one
job to another, shovel snow one day, coal the
next, stable police, then kitchen police, after-
wards guard (oh, those terrible 22 below zero
days on which to walk a post) and between
times in our spare moments, we drilled and
drilled and physical cultured and went to vari-
ous specialty schools.
Soon rumors began to ooze around that
there w^ould be Christmas passes, to be contra-
dicted by others that no one would be allowed
out of camp. Christmas approached with a
state of uncertainty in the air as to where and
how we would spend it. However shortly be-
fore the 20th, it w^as finally decided that 25
per cent of the men at a time w^ould get four-
First Iileut. Walter S. Bartlett
day leaves. In this way every man w^ould be
home at some time during the holidays.
Many were the packages of good things to
eat which came into the barracks those days.
Each shared with the other, candy, cakes, pies
and many other eatables and this was all on
top of the three big, healthy meals issued every
day to us. Under the influence of plenty to
eat, regular hours, fresh air and exercise, all the
boys were gaining both in weight and color.
Those w^ho in civilian life had been confined to
indoor work were losing their pale, sickly looks
and becoming brown skinned and clear-eyed.
The holiday passed quickly and everyone
settled back to the former routine. On Janu-
ary 1 2 ocurred the big snowstorm which was so
heavy that traffic of all kinds was tied up from
Saturday to Monday. Snowdrifts were piled
almost roof high in many places and there was
much tunneling and shoveling to be done.
Guard duty was well nigh impossible, but by
frequent changes, the men were kept from
freezing.
From the first we had the use of a piano
secured thru the efforts of Lieutenant Ackert,
but as we were unable to get a piano player
amongst any of the new recruits, it was deemed
advisable to buy a Victrola. On January 22,
after taking up a collection, one was installed
with numerous records, and from then on we
had plenty of "canned music" of all descrip-
tions.
About the 25th of the month practically the
entire camp was quarantined as several cases
of spinal meningitis had broken out and an
epidemic was feared. This quarantine did not
affect the artillery section, as much as the in-
fantry and more crowded sections.
"Bill" Sugden and his gang from Tuscola
county put in their appearance round the 29th
and these rookies surely furnished amusement
for the regulars, as we now considered our-
selves. We immediately picked on them for
stable and kitchen police, grooming horses, etc.
In the early part of February came a thaw^
which left our section of the camp almost a
chain of lakes. Rowboats were needed for dry
transportation. Arctics were then issued,
which should have been handed out back in
the fall so as to have been of some use to us.
Captain Baxter left on the 6th for Fort Sill to
attend the School of Fire. Lieutenant Booth
took charge of the battery, but shortly after he
also went to Sill and Lieutenant Gay assumed
command.
About this time, came an event of impor-
tance. The first time we hitched up to the
pieces and caissons was on Valentine's Day.
From then on w^e had actual drill practice.
Major-General Kennedy took command of
the 85th Division March 1st. This was greatly
impressed upon our minds, because of the fact
that there were no more Sunday morning in-
spections, such as had been our abomination.
"Red" Richter caught the mumps and it
was necessary to quarantine almost the entire
battery, that is those who did not sneak out
before the doctors nailed up the quarantine
card. The boys who escaped were placed in
the annex 1282, and comprised those on spe-
cial duty. During the week of March 2 1 , there
was a general cleanup thruout the camp and
every effort was made to improve the appear-
ance of barracks, stables and other buildings.
C stands for clean and we WERE.
The Cleanup Week was apparently a fore-
runner for the Divisional Review on March 30,
the first mounted review held in Custer.
Our spare moments were spent in boxing
and many were the good bouts pulled off. Very
few of us will forget the memorable match
between Horseshoer Scavone and Sergeant
Voytko, in w^hich Scavone showed Voytko
many points about boxing he had never seen
or heard of. In fact the result was a K. O. for
Voytko about the fourth round, after he had
been pummeled all over the ring.
Along the first of April, pistol practice was
the schedule and many contests were held
thruout the camp. Lieutenant Gay captured
the highest honors in the camp by his sharp-
shooting. We also began firing on the range
with sub-caliber shells for short distances and
after we became proficient in this, the shells
— 98-
were changed to the regulation 3-inch at the
normal distance.
Captain Baxter arrived from Fort Sill on
April 23 and three days later a new bunch of
men reached us. Now our two barracks were
filling up and we began to feel we would soon
have a full battery, but right away orders
started coming in, transferring right and left.
A mounted review was held on May 4 and
the new men were marched over to the field in
a body and allowed to view it. From now on
everything was hustle and bustle. Rumors of
leaving for overseas were becoming more pro-
nounced and drill periods were made harder
and longer.
On May 12, Cecil Hendricks, who had con-
tracted pneumonia, passed away at the Base
Hospital. Bugler Rankin accompanied the
body to Clifford and played "Taps" over the
grave. This was the first death we had in the
battery and all felt keenly his decease.
More rumors of leaving Custer came float-
ing around and numerous overseas equipment
inspections and a Brigade review on June 21
helped greatly to strengthen these suspicions.
On June 2 7 our last bunch of recruits arrived
and almost immediately they were started drill-
ing and driving. The ground was thoroughly
dried and very dusty and we always came in
from rides or foot drills covered with pow-
dered earth from head to foot. The bathhouse
with its showers of hot and cold water was cer-
tainly a favorite place each evening.
The 4th of July was quietly celebrated,
many of the boys getting passes for various
places.
The Sunday following was the last time
passes were issued out of camp eind, on July
9, entrance to or exit from Custer was pro-
hibited because of early departure. Lieutenant
Sheffield, Sergeant Schneller, and Corporal
Chadwick, our advance party, left July 1 0 and
we knew that our departure was not far dis-
tant. We were all anxious to leave, even tho
Custer had been generous to us in every re-
spect. Our quarters were excellent, food good
and plentiful and passes helped to relieve the
monotony of drilling. It is hard to tell what
we expected overseas, but apparently we were
just bored and needed a change. How many
times in later months did we fervently say
"Our kingdom to be in Custer again!" Little
did we realize what a paradise we were in
until quarters in France brought poor food,
scarce and general conditions far below nor-
mal.
Leaving Camp Custer about noon July 1 6,
1918, we traveled in style on the Michigan
Central to Weehawken, N. J., where we took
the ferry to Brooklyn. Style is mentioned
here because in view of later modes of travel
and conveyances, the old M. C. cars were
rolling palaces. At Brooklyn we boarded the
Long Island trains which transported us to the
entrance of Camp Mills on Long Island. We
arrived there near midnight in a drizzling rain
and a more disheartened bunch never was
viewed. The heavy packs were galling and
the rain disagreeable. No lights were to be
seen, and only by the aid of a few weak flash-
lights did we locate some empty tents in which
to "flop" for the night. Some were lucky
enough to find iron cots, others preferred the
dirt floor to aimlessly wandering around look-
ing for more beds.
In that city of tents, which were regular
Turkish bathhouses those hot July days, we
dwelt till July 30th rolled around. Numer-
ous clothing and medical inspections, the
abomination of every soldier, were the order
of the day. Dust storms and showers were
frequent and disagreeable. However, passes
to New York City and nearby towns and
beaches helped greatly to enliven our last few
days in the good old U. S. A. We also caught
sight of our advance party, which left the camp
on the 2 1 st for overseas.
July 30th we rode again to Brooklyn; and,
after boarding a ferry, w^ere transferred in the
regular routine to the British Steamer Maun-
First Uent. John B. Gay
ganui which was to be our home till August
1 1 th. It was with mingled feelings of regret
and pride that we viewed the fast disappear-
ing outlines of the Goddess of Liberty — the
symbol of that Freedom from Militarism for
which we had taken up arms.
As Joe Bedore would say "De win' she blow.
Bimeby she blow som' more." Most of us
had a touch of seasickness, some more than
others. As a whole, however, the trip was
uneventful. No submarine attacked us, due no
doubt to the strength and watchfulness of our
convoy and, after passing through the thick fogs
between Ireland and Scotland, we awoke on
the morning of August 1 1 th to find ourselves
anchored in the harbor at Liverpool.
We disembarked there amid loud whistlings
and cheers of the gathering crowds, about 1 1
a. m., and after marching to the depot, where
we were served coffee and cakes by the Eng-
lish Red Cross, we took train at 12 noon for
Southampton, arriving about 10:30 the same
evening. This daylight trip across England
was an enjoyable one for all. It was made in
99 —
compartment cars, with thick, comfortable
cushions, and only eight men to a compart-
ment. The scenery was grand and the sights
kept us "rubbering" from one side of the train
to the other. Practically none of us had ever
been in England or even abroad and we were
anxious to get an eyeful. While we were ex-
tremely tired that evening we all felt amply
repaid for our efforts to see and appreciate all
there was to be seen.
Upon arriving in Southampton at 10:30, we
had a heartbreaking trip to what was comic-
ally called a "Rest Camp." With full packs
we marched several miles thru darkened
streets to the outskirts of the city where the
First Iiieut. Hug'h DlcMe
camp was situated, and as we hadn't got our
land legs, we were thoroughly tired out and
covered with perspiration, the evening being
warm and suffocating. That night, our first on
terra firma, we slept fine and supposed we
were there for several days' rest. Where the
rest came in, we were unable to find out, as we
pulled out the next noon, and made the trip
afoot to the boats — this time bound for Le
Havre, right across the English Channel. We
made that excursion on an American built
boat, the Harvard, with an American crew,
and altho the dash for the French port was
made under cover of darkness with not a peep
of light showing, we were not afraid, being un-
aware that this was one of the most dangerous
portions of our entire trip.
The next morning when the sun rose we saw
Le Havre, France, in the distance. After lying
in the harbor all morning for the tide to come
in, we landed about noon, and were greeted
on the docks by train loads of wounded sol-
diers waiting to be transferred to hospital
ships. At that particular time we didn't know
whether to consider this an ominous sign or
not. Then began another back-breaking
march. It was hotter than ever and up hill
all the way to another "Rest Camp." We were
too tired to look with critical eye upon the
narrow, crooked streets, the buildings different
from our own, and the people and their mode
of dress.
Arriving there about 4 p. m. on the 1 3th,
we were fed on "bloaters," bread and tea.
This camp was the origin of our famous "dry
wash," invented by Captain Baxter because of
the lack of sufficient water, even tho the At-
lantic flowed at our feet. A brisk massage of
the entire face and body with the dry hands
was considered to be enough to give us the
semblance at least of cleanliness, and in after
months it turned out to be sufficient as we
really had no means of bathing.
After resting over night and next morning,
on the afternoon of the 1 4th, we marched to
the railroad and boarded box cars with that
now familiar sign "Hommes 40 — cheveaux 8"
painted on the side. Can you imagine 36 sol-
diers, with all their military belongings and
sufficient rations for three days, packed into
those dinky 20x6 "side door Pullmans"? One
striking feature was their perfect ventilation
and excellent means of observation, each car
being practically all doors and windows.
While these cars 'were not nearly as comfort-
able as the English coaches, yet we saw a great
deal of the country from our observation posts.
And those funny little engines with their shrill
toy whistles! How they tickled our fancy for
miles!
After leaving Le Havre, we passed thru such
large places as Rouen, Nantes, Alencon, Le
Mans, Laval, and Rennes, detraining at Mes-
sac, a small town south of the River Villaine,
and 20 miles southwest of Rennes. Messac be-
ing reached late in the afternoon of the 15 th,
we marched across the river and pitched our
pup tents on the lowlands and enjoyed the
first real night's sleep since leaving the States.
The next morning we were scattered thruout
the town, in mills, barns, schoolhouses, etc.
We w^ere well treated by the inhabitants. The
river furnished us a bathing and washing place
and you can imagine, after two weeks' travel-
ing we were badly in need of a regular bath.
Here the first mail from "back home" caught
up to us and we w^ere feeling pretty happy.
On the top of a hill of solid rock near the
center of the town stood a church built 250
years ago, presided over by a venerable and
benevolent-looking priest and his young assist-
ant who spoke broken English with such a
quaint accent. How well do 'we all remember
at eventide the tolling of the church bells, the
end of each perfect day, the hour of peace and
quiet, when all the world about us was stilled
and everyone offered up a silent prayer. Yet
here were we American soldiers, bent on war-
like purposes, in the midst of this restful calm.
Every good time must come to an end and
so on the 25th of August we marched on to-
wards our destination. Making ten miles that
day, we spent the night at Maure, and on Mon-
A soldier vfat sitting on a box at Lagney, in-
dustriously scratching his head, when Sgt. Hens-
ler, who was passing on his way to get a bunch
of horses, said to him: "Picking' 'em out?"
"No, sir," replied the soldier. "I take* 'em
just as I finds 'em."
100 —
day we covered the remaining nine miles to
Camp Coetquidan, arriving about 11 a. m.
This camp proved to be our home for about
two months.
Coetquidan is an historical camp. It was
the site of Napoleon's armies years ago and has
been used by the French ever since for mili-
tary training, until the Americans took it over
for their own use at the beginning of the A. E.
F. Here we were instructed in all branches of
artillery work with the French 75 's and the last
few weeks before we left we were simulating
actual conditions at the front. It was a most
interesting time, but still hard work for all of
us. Oftentimes we would spend all night out
doors in pup tents, rain or moonlight. Some
mornings upon getting up we found the canvas
wringing wet, the dew being so heavy. The
climate however at that place was not con-
ducive to our well-being and happiness, prac-
tically the entire last month we spent there be-
ing in rain or mist all the time. Many of our
boys suffered from coughs and colds or the
Spanish Flu, and a number of them, including
First Sergeant Voytko, Pots, Kelley, KurtzkofI,
Patzekowsky, Upland and Agrafulis, were left
in the camp hospital and transferred. Ser-
geant Leroy Akley was appointed First Ser-
geant and has since ably handled the battery.
Sergeants Schueller and Shoemaker also left to
attend the Officers' Training Camp at Saumur.
Lieutenant Casey had been appointed regi-
mental gas officer, and therefore Lieutenant
Bartlett was assigned to our battery in his
place.
We were issued our complement of supplies,
horses, materiel, etc., as fast as it could be col-
lected, and on Oct. 23rd, silently packed up
under cover of darkness and about 2 a. m.
marched to Guer, a few miles away. By 8:30
No photo of Lt. Otto H. Dittmer
secured.
we were all loaded on the train and headed
eastward. Again passing through Messac,
Rennes, Laval, Le Mans, Chartres, the suburbs
of Paris, Troyes, and Chaumont, we detrained
at a small town called Andelot, on October
25 th. From there we marched thru Rimau-
court to Manois, situated amongst the hills,
where we were stationed in barracks w^ith
bunks. It was here Sergeant Lockwood joined
the O. T. C. and left for Saumur.
Privates Hinton and Kyle became sick and
were taken to the hospital at Rimaucourt. On
November 2 Hinton breathed his last and it
was with deep regret we learned of his death.
Private Kyle however recovered and rejoined
us later at Pont-a-Mousson. Leaving Manois
on Oct. 30th, we went to Rimaucourt, but were
ordered after only a few hours' ride about 6
p. m. to detr^.in at Domgermain, near Toul.
Al Manois during the quiet of an evening we
could hear the dull roar of the guns. How-
ever at this stop the noise was quite plain, as
we were much closer to the front line trenches.
This trip was the last taste we had of train
transportation for a long time. Since then our
artillery has been on foot and has seen a bit of
France at that. After detraining we marched
about two miles towards Toul and camped out
in our pup tents. Our first touch of real frosty
weather was had that night and many of us put
on an extra pair of sox to keep our feet warm.
The next morning our shelter halves were so
stiff with frost we could hardly roll our packs.
Hot coffee, bacon and bread warmed up our
insides and hopping around stimulated circu-
Iileut. Wm. Sheffield
lation. Later on the sun came out warm and
bright, and w^e viewed the first air fight we had
seen. A big German plane came over to do
some observing, but hundreds of shots from
anti-aircraft guns drove the boche high up into
the air where he could not see anything of ad-
vantage to him.
The afternoon of the 3 1 st we again shoul-
dered our packs and hiked onward. Just be-
fore entering Toul, we passed many large hos-
pitals filled to overflowing with the wounded
of all nationalities. Toul seemed to be a fairly
large city, but we touched only a part of it and
continued our march to Lagney, where we
halted about five o'clock the same evening.
The roar of the guns kept getting sharper and
we realized we were drawing nearer to the
front.
That night we found a "Y" which supplied
us with chocolate, cookies, gum, cigars, ciga-
rettes, etc. Then we were in our glory to be
able to have a package of cookies in one fist
and a bar of chocolate in the other, taking a
bite of each alternately.
Friday afternoon, Nov. 1 st, we left about
five o'clock, always heading northeast, which
meant in the general direction of Metz, the
American objective. After dark we marched
thru Bernacourt and Fliery which were badly
shell-torn. In fact, there was hardly a wall left
standing in the latter place. About 1 0 p. m.
— 101
~we halted in Mort Mare Woods, where we were
to stay several days.
These woods were located directly east of
Saint Mihiel in the midst of the territory cov-
ered by the celebrated drive made by the
Americans Sept. 9 to 16. All of this district
had been held by the Germans from the be-
Battery "C" Billets at Pont-a-Mousgon
ginning of the war in 1914, and even such a
cursory glance as we were able to give the net-
work of trenches and dugouts showed that the
thorough Germans had planned on permanent-
ly occupying whatever they gained in France.
These dugouts and emplacements were of solid
concrete, railroad iron, logs and sandbags.
Many times the walls were plastered and even
papered, and in several instances, there were
tiled rooms, bar-room fixtures, electric lights,
carpets, etc. In one place we found a piano.
All the territory showed many signs of hasty
evacuation; new ammunition, machine guns
and supplies of various sorts being strewn
around.
We had read of how the Americans chased
the Boche out of the St. Mihiel sector in dou-
ble-quick time six weeks before, but after view-
ing part of the battlefield, it seemed almost im-
possible of achievement, the Germans were so
deeply entrenched. This splendid victory
spoke well for the fighting spirit and genius of
the Americans. We were quartered in this
woods for several days and saw some real ex-
citement as well as some laughable incidents.
Allied and enemy planes battled nearly every
day in our vicinity and the ground anti-aircraft
guns were kept busy.
A big observation balloon was stationed in
the same woods where we were. One bright
day when it was floating lazily about 500 feet
up in the air, the Germans got one of their
speedy battle planes, accompanied by two es-
corts, so close that the pilot was able to train
his machine gun on the balloon. The bullets
punctured the balloon, and as every fifth shell
is an incendiary generally, the bag soon burst
into flames and shortly afterwards fell blazing
to the ground. As soon as the firing began,
the two observers jumped out of the basket
with their parachutes and floated safely to
mother earth.
The enemy planes were flying low and we
had grand stand seats for the attack, never
dreaming that they might bomb us. The plane
then started along the road as tho to spray
bullets up and down the highway where hun-
dreds of negroes were repairing the battered
roadbed, over which trucks were passing with
supplies. it was mighty interesting to
watch those colored boys drop their
picks and shovels and dash for the ditches,
trenches or any cover they could find.
Even the trucks were abandoned. But
one of our boys had an eye for business
and the "inner man." We were rather
short of bread that day, and Mr. Buddy
noticed one of the trucks with rations and
on top a big stack of bread. What does
he do but climb over the tailboard of the
truck, hook two big round loaves of
"punk," and beat it across the fields to
our quarters while the men in charge of
the machine were hiding somewhere in the
ditch. It was laughable to see this fellow
plowing across the muddy field with a loaf
under each arm, while all the excitement was
going on.
Upon several occasions, the Germans shelled
the town of Essey, which was about three kilo-
meters from the woods, while trying to reach
a bridge spanning a main supply road. Not
having had the interesting experience before,
we were foolish enough to stand and watch the
big shells burst about 500 meters away. Dur-
ing our stay in the woods, we lay in waiting, as
it were, for the word to send us forward into
our firing position. There was nothing to do
except roam around looking over the entrench-
ments, practice vfith our pistols or sleep, and
w^e all did our share of each.
On the evening of the 4th, one of our bat-
teries, "B," got word to move and we knew it
Corp. Tricker: "Goodness gracious. Sergeant.
Sounds like old Fritz coming over in the mud —
squish squash, squish squash."
Sgt. Atkins: "That's all right, Lillian; that's
only those Americans over in Calabresi section
a' chewin' their gum rations which Big Hearted
Charlie just sent up."
would be our turn soon. The regiment had
been split into the first and second battalions at
Lagney, and the first battalion composed of
Batteries A, B and C, were together in the
woods. The second battalion of Batteries D,
E and F moved in a different direction. The
next evening found us on our way. We were
not exactly scared but a queer feeling came
over us, as we were marching along in the
darkness, not knowing whether we were going
right into action, or not. Everyone was great-
ly relieved when we halted in a village nestling
at the foot of a high protecting hill and learned
102 —
that this was our echelon, Bouillionville. As vfe
were tired out from the hike, we flopped most
anjrwhere in the buildings selected for our bat-
tery. The next morning we were all rearranged
comfortably.
On the evening of Nov. 6th, the firing bat-
tery received orders to move out, each sec-
tion to leave at half hour intervals. We went
forward under cover of darkness, scheduled
to pass through Thiaucourt, a large city which
had recently been held by the Germans but
recaptured. But the Boche was favoring the
town with a harassing fire of gas shells, and it
was necessary to take a circuitous mud road
around the place. In one respect ^ve were for-
tunate— we found positions ready for occu-
pancy— but at the same time the Boche bat-
teries also seemed to know something of them.
The first night was a night of uneasiness to
most of our valiant warriors, as the shells were
falling around us all night and it was our first
experience under real shell fire.
We were unable to register the following
<lay and therefore at night we again lay in-
active under shell fire. This night we experi-
enced a heavy bombardment with gas and the
night being foggy, the valleys were loaded to
the brim for hours. Our kitchen was located
in a large dugout at the foot of a hill, and to
get there it was necessary to slip and slide in
mud down the hillside. Many a time that
night the boys climbing the hill with their gas
masks on were in imminent danger of losing
their precious "Corn Willie." "Honest John"
Soper and "Fighting Dick" Gaudet came to
grief on the hillside when the gas alarm was
sounded. When they finally untangled them-
selves at the foot of the hill and adjusted their
masks, they decided it was physically impos-
sible to hang onto supper and put on a mask
at the same time, on that hill, at least.
Not the least amazing thing that evening
■was hearing "Sammy" Gurin, our gas ser-
geant, out in front of the guns, calling for
anyone to direct him to the battery. It de-
veloped that Lieut. Sheffield had taken him
During the thickest of the shelling, a detail
of Battery C men were hauling ammunition from
the road up to the gun positions. A particu-
larly close-up burst scattered our men for cover
like frightened quail. Studer was heard to yell
to Corporal Carrie, in a quavering voice: "If
you're a leader of men, for heaven's sake lead
ut out of this."
as far as No. 1 piece and then left him, say-
ing "The other pieces are out there," pointing
in the general direction of Metz.
On Friday afternoon, Nov. 8th, we received
orders to move about 800 meters to the east
and "dig in" in new positions. It ■was liter-
ally "dig in," too, for that was our one and
only occupation for the next twenty-four hours.
Saturday afternoon we registered on the first
piece. About 3:30 p. m. the firing data, in-
cluding a range of 4,000 meters, was sent
down, and when the command to fire was
given our first message to the Boche was sent
hurtling over in the form of shrapnel. The
"Fighting First" section, under Sgt. Frank
Calabrese, fired twenty-seven rounds that aft-
ernoon. By that time it was getting too dark
to observe and the order ■was given, "Cease
firing."
Our communications ■were not in order as
far as the gun positions, and the night was
/ ^ 'MEMO«IES' .
/ / / •
lightened by stentorian commands coming out
of the darkness in the voice of our executive,
Lieut. Sheffield. At one period the third
section failed to answer his call, and after
several repetitions he shouted, "Can you
hear me?" and a reply came from Thiau-
court, a kilometer or so distant, "Yes, ■we hear
you." It seemed the third section had been
devoting their spare moments to calming
"Meathead" Mann, their bloodthirsty gunner.
Next day ■was Sunday, which was spent in
perfecting our gun positions and dugouts. A
few gas shells came over and one bombard-
ment almost ended the career of our genial
Lieut. Gay. Forgetting that the gas mask ■was
authorized equipment, he wandered about 150
meters from his dugout minus that very val-
uable adjunct. Just then some gas shells burst
near and Lieut. Gay's return was speedy if not
dignified. That evening as it grew dusk all
the guns of the battery started to fire, and one
session followed another in rapid succession
throughout the night. The fighting spirit of
the third section, in charge of Sgt. Hensler,
was gratified by their going up into position
between the first and second line trenches as
a "roving gun," and they were literally "over
the top," but suffered no casualties. The night
was exceptionally dark and foggy, and all ■were
warned not to stray from their positions. It
was reported that our battery commander,
Capt. Baxter, ^vas lost when going from the
— 103 —
Back in Custer Captain Baxter was leading a
detail on a scouting party to locate the enemy.
At the start he specifically cautioned everyone
to do just exactly as he did. Later in passing
through a woods the Captain, in attempting to
step over the root of a tree, stumbled and fell,
badly skinning his nose. Garvalia was heard to
call out innocently: '^Captain, will ^ve do that,
too?" It was up to the Captain to halt the detail
so everyone could laugh heartily.
B. C. station to one of the guns, and when
found was headed towards Metz, presumably
to attempt a solitary attack on that formidable
fortress.
The regimental ammunition dump was lo-
cated about seven kilometers from the gun po-
sitions and it was necessary to pass through
Thiaucourt both going to and coming from the
dump. On Wednesday and Thursday eve-
nings nothing of unusual excitement happened
to the ammunition train, and so on Friday, the
8th, when Sgt. Akley asked for volunteers to
haul ammunition, eight fellows offered their
services, thinking it would be a lark to get a
load of shells.
The three wagons were in charge of Sgts.
Akley and Menzies, and v^fhile passing through
Thiaucourt on their way toward the dump,
German shells began dropping dangerously
close right in the town. They took the short
cut road over the ridge in order to save time
and all the way the road was shelled, although
no one was touched. Just as the dump was
"Any complaints. Corporal?" asked the
Colonel, making one morning a personal inspec-
tion.
"Yes, sir. Taste that, sir," said the Corporal.
"Why," the Colonel said, "that's the best soup
I ever tasted."
"Yes, sir," said the Corporal, "and the cook
wants to call it coffee."
reached a Boche plane flew right out of the
mist directly above the woods, and apparently
not over a hundred feet high. Shortly after
shells began flying all around the dump, but
luckily not one burst near the ammunition.
The entire trip back was one continual round
of explosions and the road w^as bright as day
from the bursting shells.
Right in Thiaucourt the closest calls came
when two big stone buildings were blown right
over into the narrow street almost entirely
blocking the road. Sgt. Akley was so close
to one of the buildings that the force of the
explosion almost blew him off his horse. The
wagons, horses and men were pelted by fall-
ing mortar, gravel, dirt and dust, and the noise
of the burst made the animals most unmanage-
able. Luckily no one was injured, but all ■were
given a severe shake-up. After partially clear-
ing the street, it was decided to keep on going
as fast as possible to the guns and we reached
there shortly under more shell fire which, how-
ever, passed over us, singing and whistling
lustily. The detail which was left to carry
ammunition from the road up the hill to the
gun positions was scattered as Fritz again got
busy throwing over explosives. We had no
more volunteer ammunition details after that
night for pleasure only. It was necessary to
pick them.
Thus did we spend our time — hauling and
firing ammunition, digging new emplacements
and dugouts and working twenty-five hours
out of a possible twenty-four. One of the
biggest barrages shot off in that locality weis
fired just before eleven o'clock on the morn-
ing of the 1 1 th of November. Our battery,
however, had orders to cease firing about 7
a. m., and ^ve did not participate, much as
we would have enjoyed it. At just five min-
utes to eleven, two big shells came over from
Fritz and landed alongside our positions, a
parting farewell, as it were.
After eleven, however, the silence by con-
trast was impressive, broken only by the hum
of a solitary airplane, a watchful eye in the
sky. The morning was beautifully warm and
sunshiny, particularly appropriate and fitting
for such an occasion, as though a kind of Provi-
dence had smiled His pleasure upon the end-
ing of more than four years of carnage.
While everyone was extremely glad, yet all
took the news quietly. Not much outward en-
thusiasm was shown, the celebrating being
done inwardly, and apparently all were think-
ing of the effect this glorious fact would have
upon the loved ones at home. No doubt the
general thought even at that early date was,
"When will we be starting for home?"
' Monday afternoon there were several small
excursion parties to the front line trenches,
where a number of interesting souvenirs were
collected. It was also the first opportunity
for many at the gun positions to wash and
shave, and Captain Baxter, with his usual
thoughtfulness, had sent down to Thiaucourt
for half of a large cask, which was used as a
bathtub. Tuesday night about midnight the
order came out to the guns to pack up and be
ready to move, and within an hour all who
had been stationed there were on their way
back to the echelon at Bouillionville.
"Bill" Sugden went on sick call the morning
of Nov. 7th. "You have a sudden rapid rise
in temperature, with symptoms of diarrhoea,"
said the Medical Captain after looking him over,
"caused by a shock of some kind." He did not
know that Bill had been out on the ammunition
detail the night before, when the Germans began
throwing them over.
Lt. Dickie: "Of course you can readily un-
derstand what it means to drop fire bombs on
the enemy's vast stores at night."
Rosenberg: "Sure! Fire sales the next morn-
ing."
104 —
Early Wednesday morning, the 1 3th, we
were again on the move and marched south-
east after passing through Thiaucourt, along a
road which led through innumerable trenches,
wire entanglements and dugouts. it was a
regular wilderness, the trees being slashed to
pieces, and the ground all torn up by artillery
fire and trenches. We passed through Regnie-
ville, that is the ruins of it, there being nothing
left but part of a church tower, with the bell
still hanging in the steeple. One of the sad
scenes of the war was witnessed there — a
Frenchman and his wife climbing over broken
walls searching for what had been their home.
After marching through Montauville, where
the 328th F. A. was billeted, we landed late
that afternoon in Pont-a-Mousson, quite an
old city located on the banks of the Moselle
River. Here w^e w^ere quartered in a large old
building which apparently had been used as
an industrial school and later for barracks.
Nearly every room had a fireplace in it and
we were quite comfortably situated. While
our building had been bombarded, yet it was
in fairly good condition.
It will not be inappropriate to say that all
of us on Thanksgiving Day, 1918, in Pont-a-
Mousson offered up a prayer truly of thanks-
giving that we had been brought safely through
these months of the most terrific warfare the
world will ever witness, and that this old earth
will ever in the future be a safe place for all
humanity to live in and enjoy the fruits of its
labor.
Thanksgiving Day was quietly spent in town
with the usual appropriate exercises. While
many of us thought we might be on our ■way
back home by Christmas, yet Christmas rolled
around and we w^ere still in Pont-a-Mousson.
A big room was cleared for a mess hall and
seven long tables with benches were built,
capable of accommodating the entire battery.
In one end of the hall stood a large Christmas
tree, decorated, under the supervision of
Bugler Rankin and his assistants, with tinsel,
strings of red berries, the national colors, etc.
Sergeant Johnson, with others of the battery
commander's detail, took charge of the elec-
trical work, and when the tree and hall were
lighted up by colored lights the sight was in-
deed a pretty one to our homesick eyes. Pri-
vates Click, Stadler and Chesnan ably decorat-
ed the walls with views of Detroit, the Statue
of Liberty, Uncle Sam and appropriate signs
such as "Merry Christmas," "Welcome," etc.
Christmas eve a very entertaining program
was put on by Nick Hall, Mark Dale, Ollie
Thorpe, Billie Evans, Mickie Walsh and others,
with the aid of the 329th orchestra. At vari-
ous times during the evening presents from the
Christmas tree were distributed to different
men. Bill Sugden drew his chevrons and war-
rant as "harness corporal" because of his as-
siduous attention to cleaning harness. "Hard
Luck" Arthur Barie (Just my luck) received
an iron horseshoe, ■with the ■wish that such good
omen might change his luck. Chick Johnson
renewed acquaintance with "Scrap Iron Liz."
Larry DeLisle was the recipient of a hammer
to aid him in knocking. "Lillian" Treiher got
a pair of corsets. Sergeant Akley received a
miniature keg as a remembrance of steam-
heated alleys. Anthony Bartkowiak received
a pair of bellows to aid him in dispensing his
hot air.
A large crowd was present and thoroughly
enjoyed every minute of each selection. The
success of the program ■was due to the above-
named performers and also Sergeants Akley,
Gurin and Hensler, ■who assisted greatly in
running it off without a hitch. Captain Brady,
our adjutant, and several other officers from
the regiment ■were ■welcome visitors.
©■wing to sickness, our battery commander.
Captain Baxter, who was confined to a hospi-
tal in Toul, was unable to be present. It was
with regret that we did not see his smiling face
during holiday week, but a large bouquet of
flowers, with a Merry Christmas and a note of
good cheer from the entire battery, was teiken
to his bedside.
Christmas Day a regular banquet in courses
was served the battery. Corporal Peter Boas,
"I should like a porterhouse steak ivith mush-
rooms, French fried potatoes, a nice combina-
tion salad, some delicately browned toast with
plenty of butter, and a big cup of coffee," said
Sgt. Verry in a cafe at Pont-a-Mousson.
"Excuse me," interrupted the waitress, "are
you trying to give an order or just reminiscing
about old times?"
acting as mess sergeant, had provided a menu
fit for kings, and his concoctions were served
by the sergeants as waiters, with Sergeant
Jimmy Nolan, attired in a Prince Albert coat
and silk top hat, as head waiter. Sergeant
Akley was ■wine boy, but waited in vain, be-
cause it seems the brewery wagon stopped at
another battery by mistake.
Fourteen of the non-coms and privates,
headed by Supply Sergeant George Verry,
— 105
spent from December 1 8 to 3 1 at the leave
area, Aix-Ies-Bains. The boys all reported an
excellent time.
New Year's Day was quietly observed and
passed quickly by. Then we settled down to
the usual routine and engaged ourselves with
drills, hikes and games. An old riding school
behind our billet furnished us with a mighty
good gymnasium. Of course the roof was
not all there, and what was left leaked badly
when it rained. But we had many a good
game of indoor baseball, basketball, and all
Back in Custer, a pretty girl was eagerly
watching the drill one afternoon, when a rifle
ToUey crashed out. With a surprised little
scream, she shrank back into the arms of Sgt.
"Bill" Hewitt, who was standing behind her.
"Oh!" she cried, blushing, "I was frightened by
the rifles. I beg your pardon."
"No need," he replied quickly. "Let's go
over and watch the artillery."
sorts of gymnastics, superintended by all the
officers, who took turns in getting into the
sports. These events helped pass away the
time, which 'was long enough, and also fur-
nished the necessary exercise to keep us in
excellent trim.
Commemorating the passing of one of
America's greatest men, Theodore Roosevelt,
the entire regiment marched on Wednesday
afternoon, January 8, to a field near Jezain-
ville, where a salute of twenty-one guns was
fired with the colors dipped. It was with feel-
ings of deepest regret that the news of his
death on January 6 reached us. Everyone had
the highest regard for him both as a statesman
and a man. His opinions and prophecies so
forcibly put to the public long before our en-
trance into the war had come true almost to a
word, and we were just beginning to realize
his sterling worth. It is for future generations
to accord him his rightful place in history.
Although when we first arrived in Pont-a-
Mousson w^e had turned in our horses and
One Battery C private to another at Conflans:
"Where do you bathe?"
**In the spring."
"I didn't ask you when; I asked you where."
thought ourselves well rid of them, yet on Jan-
uary I 7 a big bunch of our pets, both horses
and mules, were invited into our midst by
Lieutenant Sheffield and Sergeant Hensler,
who had journeyed to a town near Lagney for
them. Straightway we stood to heel and pre-
pared to groom. Of course, most of our com-
petitive games were then cut out, but water-
ing and grooming horses became both exercise
and foot drill combined, with Captain Baxter
as drillmaster. We will always remember his
commands at water call, "Line 'em up! Seven
in a row! Left oblique to the watering trough!
Yo ! Hey, there, hold him up ! Show him
who's boss! Don't let him get the best of
you!" These last remarks were always direct-
ed to someone holding or rather attempting
to hold a big, balky horse who had no regard
for army drill regulations and wanted to drink
first. "If you don't hold him I'll make him
wait till the last." Battery punishment, you
know. The morning water call ■was the source
of much amusement for onlookers.
Just about this time it snowed, the first beau-
tiful white which covered the ground, and re-
minded us of winters at home. The tempera-
ture lowered and ice formed on the canals and
also the edge of the Moselle.
Our celebrated souvenir hunters, of which
we had several, were having a hard time mak-
ing raids on the Metz arsenal. M. P.'s were
ever watchful and it was only by careful
methods they were able to run the gauntlet.
However, the relic dealers were amply repaid
because German souvenirs were in big demand
and sold on sight. Even Marcoff got into the
game by pounding out designs on German
77's and French 75's.
On Wednesday, February 5th, when our ma-
teriel was taken to Domgermain we knew we
would soon move homeward. That trip was
a heart-breaker. The roadway was covered
with ice and the animals, poorly shod, slipped
Corp. Connelly (back in the States): "What!
Sgt. Menzier a hero? Why, he's a washout."
The Girl: "But, Peter, he told me in France he
was always where the shells were thickest."
Corp. Connelly: "So he was — in charge of an
ammunition wagon."
all over. The return trip was worse as it was
made through a heavy snow storm. No one
murmured, even the almost frozen, because
they knew it was for the cause of going home.
They arrived back on Saturday, February 8th.
During their absence all the horses left had
to be clipped and shifts worked day and night.
When the horses which had hauled the ma-
teriel away returned it was necessary to clip
them also. Therefore the boys were doubly
busy Saturday night and Sunday, before the
horses could be turned over to the 7th Divi-
sion.
On Tuesday morning, February 1 1 th, just
six months after we first set foot on foreign
soil overseas, w^e marched to Douillard and
entrained in the proverbial "side-door Pull-
mans" (40 hommes or 8 cheveaux). Spick
and span service stripes w^ere everywhere in
evidence and seemed to have sprung up over
night. This time we were provided with
stoves and wood and although greatly crowd-
ed yet made ourselves comfortable. The start
— 106 —
was made about noon but ten men were left
behind and we almost lost Lieutenant Gay
who fell while running to catch the train as it
was pulling out. Corporals Rinehart and
Stark, Privates Galleano, Foggiano, Maglen,
Kyle, Morgia, Molteck, Massey, and Borow-
sky were the unfortunate ones. However, the
latter three, more lucky than the rest, showed
up at Toul, having arrived there through the
efforts of Captain Watkins of Brigade Head-
quarters. The others did not rejoin us till we
had been in Conflans several days.
Wednesday on the train was a wonderful
day. The sun came out bright and warm and
the scenery was delightful. We passed through
territory we had not seen before which gave
Sgt. Verry had returned to Detroit from
France, to find that his girl had been walking
out with another young man, and naturally asked
her to explain her frequent promenades in the
city with the gentleman.
"Well, dear," she replied, "it was only kind-
ness on his part. He just took me down town
every day to the library to see if you were
killed."
us a somewhat different impression of France.
The valley of the Loire was particularly in-
teresting— many chateaus, rugged hills and
beautiful woods appearing before our eyes.
We passed through many towns on our way
eastward, as it seemed we were always bound
to wander across a greater part of France, ap-
parently the French way not being to go from
one place to another in the most direct route.
Thursday morning after passing Tours, an in-
teresting sight to view was the cliff dwellers.
Their homes were all along the railroad tracks,
built right into the sides of hills and cliffs.
Some of the more well-to-do had built a front
on their caves, with the general appearance of
a house.
Leaving Tours we rolled along to Chateau
du Loir where our train stopped for an hour or
so. It was here we caught up to the 77th Divi-
sion which was also on its way to Le Mans.
Many were the animated groups, interestedly
exchanging experiences and military gossip.
Before pulling out of this station we were given
orders to police up our "Pullmans" after the
train started running. Then we realized our
journey was nearing an end. We stopped
Thursday, February 1 3th, in a town called
Besse-sur-Braye and soon saw several of the
batteries getting off but no orders appeared for
Battery C. After w^aiting about half an hour,
hurry-up orders came for us to detrain and
the inevitable question arose, "How far do we
walk?" and the inevitable answer came,
"About 1 4 kilos, even though the trains ran
right through this town." We consumed the
usual time waiting for the orders to move out.
Naturally we had to sneak up on our new
billets under cover of darkness. The country
When Garvalia was a Corporal drilling the
"squad of all nations," he lost every man be-
cause in nmneuvering around a ditch he gave
them "Back Step" and they all fell into a deep
ditch.
we then passed through appeared a great deal
more prosperous than that to which we had
been accustomed — the farms were well culti-
vated, the highways in excellent shape, the
farm stock of better quality and even the gen-
eral appearance of the French people was
more prosperous.
Stopping half way on our trip we opened up
our feast of reserve rations — corned willy,
punk and tomatoes. We started out again
with renewed vigor and were soon passing
the old city of St. Calais. It was here that
after marching steadily for over an hour, our
famous marching song, "Captain, Captain,
When Do We Rest Again?" was composed
and sung to the tune of "Where Do We Go
From Here?"
We got somewhat mixed in our directions
and went several kilos out of our way. How-
ever, we got located at last in the small town
of Conflans, about 3 kilos from St. Calais. The
next morning was spent in filling our bed
sacks with straw and exploring the limits of
our confines. Conflans is the ordinary type
of small French town — crooked, narrow main
street, plenty of cafes and few merchandise
stores. We were quartered in all sorts of
buildings and the orderly room was located in
a vacant store.
Here we first became acquainted with the
disagreeable winter rains of western France.
Out of the seventeen days we were located
there it rained fifteen. Most of the boys had
wet feet, coughs and colds practically the en-
tire time but no one was seriously ill. Dis-
mounted and physical drill occupied a few
hours of our time each morning but we were
allowed passes to St. Calais each afternoon
and the time passed quickly enough even
One of the funny sights of that ammunition
detail on the night of Nov. 8th was Garvalia
crawling for shelter from bursting German shells
underneath an ammunition wagon loaded to the
brim with H. E. shells and fuses. We wonder
what would have happened to Frank if a shell
had hit the wagon.
though we were anxious to be on our way
.home.
Necessity is the mother of invention, so lack
of bathing facilities led to the making of our
shower bath and also a steam delouser for our
clothes. We managed to keep clean and free
from cooties, in fact Colonel Campbell com-
plimented us upon our cleanliness. Someone
said cleanliness was next to godliness, but in
France 'tis next to impossible.
— 107 —
Our most pleasant surprise from a military
standpoint was the St. Calais delousing bath.
Elsewhere in this book it is described in its en-
tirety. 'Twas a w^onderful experience and the
beginning of our friendship for baths by detail.
From that time on we were deloused, bathed
and inspected nigh unto death and also put in
our time waiting for orders to forward us.
Sunday, our usual moving day, fell on March
2nd this year and with full packs we moved
out at 8:30 a. m., passing through several
small towns. After marching 2 7 kilos we ar-
rived at Le Briel about 2:30. The entire regi-
ment was billeted around this place. Supper
was late that evening as luck was against us.
The stew had soured on the way and by mis-
take salt instead of sugar was put into the
coffee. Then the meal had to be started all
over again. What a w^ild night was spent in
that town after supper was over! Sleep was
at a premium until the "wee sma" hours of the
morning and then we v^ere awakened early by
the bugler who apparently never goes to bed.
It was necessary to complete our journey to
Camp D'Auvoirs and the regiment made the
march as a unit. The distance on the 3rd
being only 1 1 kilometers, was made easily in
the morning. It was raining when we arrived
and naturally disagreeable. We marched prac-
tically through the entire camp, as was our
usual habit, and were billeted in dirt floor
barracks. The mud outside was ankle deep
but on account of the character of the soil it
soon dried up. Rain, however, fell a good
deal of the time we spent there. Several in-
spections and baths occupied our time and
soon Sunday, March 9th, rolled around, when
we were slated for moving to the entraining
camp near Le Mans. There were several small
towns on our road and finally we marched
around the edge of Le Mans to the railroad
yards where we found our darling little French
side-door Pullmans were missing, but in their
places we had the good old regulation U. S. A.
box cars — 56 men to each car. The train was
supplied with kitchen cars and vfe had one
warm meal on the trip which lasted from Le
In the early Custer days "Louie" Chesnau,
inarching in a squad, was out of step. The
Corporal in charge yelled out; "Get in step,
Chesnau." Louie was heard to remark; '*Maybe
I'm right and the rest are wrong."
Mans to Brest. Leaving this camp at 2 :02 the
same afternoon we passed through Conlie, for-'
merly 85th Division headquarters camp; Ev-
ron, Laval, Rennes and Morlaix in Old Brit-
tany. What a wild, rugged country it was
that unfolded itself before our eyes! Rocks
and rocks everywhere, small streams dashing
madly in and out among the ravines, tangled
underbrush in thick profusion, stone huts with
mud-thatched roofs peeping from under the
sheltering side of a hill, dark brown ground
with here and there a patch of green where
grass struggled for very existence, and over-
head a gray, lowering sky always threatening
rain and generally carrying out its threats. Our
first impulsive thought upon viewing this for-
bidding landscape was "How do human be-
ings live with such land to till?" but we fear it
never will be answered. They seem to exist
and apparently that is all.
Sgt. Hensler (to Mess Sgt. DiLaura, who was
suffering from seasickness on the Maunganui) ;
"What's the matter, Pete? Weak stomach?"
Mess Sgt. DiLaura (indignantly); "What
makns you think I got a weak stomach? Ain't
I throwin' it as far as anybody?"
We detrained at Brest about 10:30 Monday
morning, the tenth, and after lingering around
the railroad yards until 12, marched to a mess
kitchen, where we had our first meal of the
day. Then, after getting comfortably filled,
we shouldered our packs and started that long
uphill grind to Camp Pontanezen, about five
kilos out of the city of Brest proper. 'Twas a
hard inarch and we wondered if the end would
ever come.
Pontanezen is a mammoth big camp, one full
of life and activity. A different spirit seems
to pervade the atmosphere. One almost feels
he is at the outskirts of the good old U. S. A.
Anyway, all that separated us from God's
country was the Atlantic ocean — a mere trifle
in our young lives after spending seven months
in France.
We were comfortably located in tents with
board floors and stoves. Plenty of coal and
wrood and a mattress on an iron spring cot
made life worth living. Board sidewalks all
over the camp kept us out of most of the mud.
Situated right across from Troop kitchen 1 2,
we did not have far to go for meals and the
feed was the best we had had in France up to
that time. Secretary of the Navy Daniels paid
the camp a visit Sunday, March 23, and in
honor of his presence we had beefsteak and
onions, something we certainly were not used
to, but had not forgotten how to enjoy.
In a previous paragraph we have described
Camp Pontanezen as being full of activity, and
it surely was for Battery C. Every day al-
most the entire bunch was out on detail and
nights, too. Each division had to furnish its
quota of work and ours seemed large enough.
The rock pile, the lumber yard, the wood pile,
all gathered our boys in and caused many sore
hands, backs and feelings.
Being permitted to go to Brest, ■we took
advantage of the passes and toured this an-
cient city. Historians place the age of Brest
in various centuries, the most general and cred-
ited being the third century when it was
founded by the Romans. It was successively
108 —
held by the Spaniards, the English and lastly
by the French. The old chateau situated on
the river bank shows the style of architecture
of these various nations. It was used by them
as a prison where persons, whose political and
religious views were not in accord with the
ruling government, were confined or put to
death as expediency determined. A trip
through this dreary, old building left one with
the feeling that it is well indeed to live in the
present century, unaffected by the Spanish In-
quisition or other forms of torture.
Our days at Pontanezen were the longest
of any we spent in France, because we w^ere
so near and yet so far, from our own beloved
homeland. On Sunday, March 23rd, word
came that we were to embark the following
morning and when this news spread like wild-
fire down our row of tents we all acted like
kids just let out of school for a vacation. Of
course we did not know what boat we would
board, but any old tub was good enough for
us as long as we were on our way headed in
the right direction. Therefore the tidings
that we were to cross on the Leviathan was
glad news and we considered ourselves lucky
indeed.
Monday morning we were up bright and
early and had in our packs all our army be-
longings ready to hike at the word. We were
impatient at any delay and desired to be mov-
ing towards our destination. About 8:30 found
us marching towards the Brest docks and upon
arriving there by devious ways, we were met
by the good old Red Cross and handed a pair
of SOX laden with good things to eat and
smokes. Then we boarded the ferry Knicker-
bocker and steamed out into the harbor to
take the Leviathan which on account of its
draft must be loaded in the deeper channels.
It seemed as tho our hopes to be passengers
on this mammoth ocean palace were to be
dashed into the briny deep, as our little boat
circled round the big one several times and
apparently started away, as tho we didn't be-
long there. But at last we were made fast and
soon were running over the gangplank and
hastening to our particular section. What a
whopping big boat she is — 950 feet over all,
1 00 feet beam, and 1 4 decks ! And how those
officers could stow away passengers! We aft-
erwards learned there were 12,2 74 soldiers in
addition to the crew of over 2,000 men.
When our regiment was settled, we were as-
signed to guard, mess, and other duties for the
entire trip. The quality and quantity of food
served us was simply fine. Altho there were
only two meals a day, yet each one was as
large as two ordinary meals such as we had
been accustomed to. We enjoyed such deli-
cacies as cake, pies, oranges and apples, some-
thing our digestive organs had not been used
to for almost a year.
A wonderful trip was made across. We left
Wednesday, March 26, at 6 o'clock in the
evening and passed that beloved old girl
"Statue of Liberty" about nine o'clock on the
morning of the Wednesday following, April
2nd. Such rejoicing as we passed up the har-
bor! We will never forget our feelings at that
time. How grand and glorious did New
York's sky line look to us! The chilling wind
did not deter us one whit from getting both
eyes full of our native land. After docking
about 10:30 we began to debark and were
soon enjoying the lunches put up by the Red
Cross, and the candy and gum handed out by
the Salvation Army and "Y."
When this was finished we boarded another
ferry and docked at Long Island City to take
the Long Island cars for Camp Mills. It
seemed strange indeed to ride in electric cars
and we were kept busy taking in the sights
along the railroad. Everything was new to
us, having been separated from it for over
eight months. Our usual wait greeted us at
the station and as a consequence we arrived at
Mills under cover of darkness. What a differ-
ent camp from the city of tents we had left in
July! New, clean, painted wooden barracks,
with plenty of cots, but we were not to enjoy
much sleep that night as word was passed
around that we were to be deloused again that
Several darkies were discussing the best
branch of the service to enlist in, and one darky
suggested the aviation branch. This conversa-
tion ensued:
First Darky: "How come you don't jine dis
yer flying squad? Aint much chance to git kilt
after you learn to ride one. You goes so high
dat de guns can't reach you."
Second Darky: "Hold on dere, brudder! You
ain't talkin' to me. I knows zactly how dat
thing's gwine to be. You goes up 'bout three
miles, an' de dog-gone contrapshun — hit stops.
An' de white man what you is ridin' wit", he say:
'Hey, nigger! Git out an' crank up!' No, suh !
I don't need no flyin' in mine!"
same night. Our turn came about 1 :30 next
morning and w^hen our clothes were received
from the "Sanitary Process Plant" we never
expected to be able to get into them again.
They were wrinkled and shrunk up, hardly fit
to put on. However we got what new clothes
we could wheedle out of the supply officers
and then pieced out with the old ones as best
we could.
The next morning we slept late and from
then on reveille and retreat were a forgotten
issue with us. We were in New York seeing
the bright lights most of the time and spend-
ing our hard earned thirty per. Passes for
twenty-one hours furnished us ample time to
view the sights along Broadway.
The camp mess kept us well fed and our mess
fund furnished its many additional delicacies
and most of us put on weight while at Mills.
Of course we wanted to get home and could
see no reason for holding us, but such is army
life that no answer comes of questioning. We
were located in Mills from April 2nd to the
^.109 —
1 7th. On the latter morning we were to en-
train at 10 o'clock, but for reasons not known
to us did not board the tourist sleepers till
4.30 that afternoon, leaving the station at 5.
Our old friends, Bully Beef and Canned Toma-
toes, were on the car platform to greet us as
we clambered up the steps, and we had fond
cinticipations of a famous old time meal with
them as honored guests.
That night found us pounding along thru
New York State in good old U. S. fashion.
Most of us flipped a coin to see who would be
the lucky one to sleep alone in the upper berth,
as three were assigned to each two seats. It
had been such a long time since any of us had
ever ridden in a sleeper, we had almost for-
gotten how to undress in one Eind where to
hang our clothes. But at last we fell asleep
dreaming of home and loved ones we were
soon to see. We had hoped to wake up near
Michigan, but troop trains generally travel
much slower towards home than their passen-
gers desire and we did not reach the Falls til'
noon. Our engineer friend let us have a good
peek at the Canadian Falls, the first view most
of us had ever given it, and after our experi-
ence in foreign countries, we all said "We're
going to see America first hereafter."
At St. Thomas we caught up to some of the
preceding sections and followed them to De-
troit. A wonderful view of a wonderful coun-
try greeted our eyes when we emerged from
the darkness of the M. C. tunnel. Shrieks,
howls, catcalls, issued from our lusty lungs.
Soldier (with cooties): "Now I know why
Napoleon's pose was always with one hand in-
side his blouse."
And when the train was brought to a stand-
still, the old depot was humming with activity.
Hurrying, scurrying friends rushing to and fro
to find loved ones. Mothers, fathers, sisters,
brothers, sweethearts, most of whom had been
on watch all day long and many of whom had
bribed the door guards, or brakemen or even
porters to let them into the main concourse.
For the half hour we were in Detroit every-
thing was excitement and many never-to-be-
forgotten scenes were enacted. Naturally we
had to part and we were soon speeding on the
last lap of our journey and towards demobil-
ization. It couldn't come any too soon for us.
We reached Battle Creek and were detrained
on the sidetrack while a preceding train pulled
into camp, unloaded and backed out again.
But at last we arrived at our starting point,
nine months from the time we had left for
overseas, and were assigned to barracks in the
five hundred block instead of the twelve hun-
dred we had formerly occupied. After an all
night and day session on the train we were
ready for bed and soon "hitting the straw."
The next morning we opened our eyes to
behold the same old unpainted, dingy barracks
we had been accustomed to, so long ago.
They show^ed signs of wear and tear and were
in direct contrast to the freshly-painted build-
ings at Camp Mills. After having been used
to feeding in troop kitchens where we were
rushed thru at double time, the several hour
wait we had for each meal was not very pleas-
ant. At noon it was announced passes would
be granted to Detroit and a grand rush was
made to the bus line to catch the earliest pos-
sible train. Everyone who made that trip to
Detroit came back Monday morning on time,
something unusual for our bunch.
On Monday the demobilization detachment
got busy and started us thru the mill and this
operation took till Wednesday morning, April
23rd, when we became civilians again. There
was much handshaking, and many goodbyes
said. True friendships had been formed
which were to live on and be cherished by all.
The parting of the ways had come for many of
us, but we vowed to keep in touch w^ith each
other and if possible visit together as often as
convenient.
Our "bit" in the great world war had been
done and while we were glad it was completed
we knew we could think back with satisfac-
tion, feeling we had accomplished whatever
had been asked of us. In closing our trip from
Custer thru France and back to Custer, it will
not be inappropriate to leave a parting mes-
sage to our officers. Captain C. A. Baxter,
Lieutenants J. B. Gay, W. B. Bartlett, A. R.
Sheffield and H. J. Dickie. They have stood
by us and with us during our trials and tribula-
tions. Their hearty comradeship, their
thoughts in our behalf, their humane feelings,
all helped to bind our battery and officers
more firmly together. The association of two
hundred men from ten to twenty-one months
rubs off most of the rough corners so that the
majority fit together nicely. Naturally there
are aWays some misfits, but in the main we
have been a congenial crowd even under the
most trying conditions when a man's real char-
acter is brought out. Battery C has sustained
thruout the 329th Regiment a reputation of
always being on the job and this was due in
no small measure to our officers, who took an
interest in their men and their work.
In our service overseas not a man was lost
from actual warfare and we were blessed by
being free from serious sickness. We return
to our starting point in the pink of condition,
changed physically and mentally, and as we
leave for our civilian pursuits whatever they
may be our farewell to one another is, "May
Providence watch over and care for us in the
future as it has done in the past." Our future
success in the business world lies in taking up
our uncompleted work where it was left off
and by striving with might and main, press on
towards the goal ■which is our aim.
SERGEANT L. J. MENZIES.
Battery C Editor.
— IIO~.
When you get home
DONT SHOCK SOCIETy
BY tOOKING FOR YOUR NUMBER
ON YOUR FORK I!
Rl/Y A HORSE
AND ALL OF YOUR
ARriLLE(?Y
TRAINING
WILL NOT
BE WASTED
_^C^'
j*<.
^ V
,,■^•''""9
il
Battery D, 329th Field Artillery, was
formed on the fifth day of September, 1917,
at Camp Custer, Michigan, with Clifford M.
LaMar, of Baraboo, Wis., as Captain, George
S. Wiley, of Detroit, as First Lieutenant, Stacy
L. Brown, of Beloit, Wis., Harry H. Gemuend,
of loniei, H. M. Stevens, of Detroit, and Smith,
of Detroit, as Second Lieutenants. First Lieu-
tenant Walter S. Bartlett, of Milwaukee, ar-
rived a few weeks later.
The first assignment of recruits came from
the sixth district of Detroit. They had re-
ported at the Detroit Armory for examination,
and were given their last civilian meal, and in-
cidentally their first one at government ex-
pense, at Al Smith's lunch emporium on Cad-
illac Square. They experienced their first
military training under the direction of a Cor-
poral, ■who was in charge of the consignment.
Al Burns, Elmer Stracke and John Wiciak
were assigned to Battery "D." They were in-
terviewed by Capt. LaMar and were then is-
sued their first equipment by the army. It
consisted of two towels, a bar of soap, a cou-
ple of blankets, an iron cot and a bed sack.
These were carried upstairs, to the portion of
the building allotted to "D" battery. They
were then directed to a stra'w stack about a
half a mile away and instructed to fill their
bed sacks.
Upon their return they were ready for their
first attack on the army slum, which did not
prove to conform with their idea of a regular
meal. A civilian cook was in charge of the
regimental kitchen. He was called "Daddy"
by the fellows, and had formerly been a
"Mess" Sergeant in the National Guard. They
were then permitted to go to their sleeping
quarters. Lieutenant Carnahan, who was act-
ing 1 St Sergeant, gave them permission to go
anywhere inside the camp limits, but warned
them not to get lost, as there were no lights in
the camp, except one large search light upon
a high pole near the entrance. He also im-
parted the cheerful information that reveille
would blow at 5:30, and that ten minutes
would be allotted for dressing.
Following reveille, the regiment was given
I^ATTERY D
thirty minutes before breakfast for its morning
ablutions, and to clean up quarters. After
mess came the police of camp. The tidy
housewives of Holland could not have kept
their homes any more scrupulously clean than
did the men at Camp Custer. Shortly after,
the newsboys came along with the Detroit
papers and Burns says he learned that they
were given a nice, hot meal and dry clothes
upon their arrival.
At ten o'clock the recruits were given a
physical examination. This ceremony is very
elaborate upon entering the army. The condi-
tion of every part of your body and system is
discerned and properly tabulated. Your fin-
gerprints, birthmarks and scars are recorded.
At three o'clock in the afternoon the second
contingent arrived. "D" w^as given ten more
embryo artillerymen, among whom were H.
N. Stoutenburg, H. W. Butler, Clarence D.
Walker, Wm. C. Carpenter, Roy Brown, S.
MarzofF and Joe Double. These men were
initiated in about the same manner as those
who came before.
During the days which followed "D" was
busy going thru the regular army inspections,
and at the same time learning the preliminary
steps in the making of a soldier. They heard
the martial law read and discussed. They
learned of the serious side of w^ar as told in
the Articles of War and were surprised at the
numerous misdemeanors a soldier could com-
mit in order to get a court martial. The iron
bunks looked pretty hard to their civilicm
minds, but long before "Finis la Guerre" they
were glad to admit the superiority of Custer
beds. The Military Order of K. P.'s was not
overly popular, but all were initiated and taken
in just the same. Dismounted drill wore sadly
on the dispositions of the officers as well as on
the tired, aching feet of the rookies. Some
wore oxfords, some heavy working shoes, and
others English cut dress models. Kitchen po-
lice, room orderlies, latrine police and fatigue
details were given to the men impartially, irre-
spective of their former walks in life. The
fusing qualities of the great American National
Army were almost unbelievable.
— 112-
Battery "D" — Taken at Camp Mills
Crude;, indeed, were the bathing facilities at
Custer, which later gave way in favor of com-
fortable, steam-heated bathhouses, with hot
and cold showers. During the early stages it
was necessary for the men to .walk about a half
mile south of the camp to a small stream,
where a stockade had been erected. Here
were tables and tubs and a few cold water
shovs^ers.
Battery "D" moved to a new building, bar-
racks number 4 1 5, which was partially shared
with Supply Company. It was in these new
quarters that the large consignment of recruits
which arrived on the 20th of September were
to be received. A large portion of the time
was spent in making preparations to receive
them. Between drill, hikes, maneuvers and in-
spections, time was found to unload a car of
iron cots and carry them to the barracks. To
assist in the training of recruits a number of
regular army non-coms were sent from Texas
to Custer. Sergeant 1. J. Ackerman and Cor-
poral R. B. Patterson were assigned to "D."
Eventually the 20th arrived and brought
with it nearly a hundred more recruits. The
old men having received a portion of their uni-
113
forms, tried to assume the airs of regulars when
in the presence of the new men, especially as
most of them were selected by the Captain as
acting non-coms, to assist in the course of in-
struction.
Shortly after moving to 415, the 33rd Na-
tional Guards, who had been doing interior
guard duty in the cantonment, moved to
Texas, and burden of the guard then fell on
the Custer men. Seven organizations of our
regiment furnished the regimental guard, alter-
nately. Battery "D" drew Sunday. But they
heaped coals of fire on the Regimental Head
by executing the best guard mounts. Capt. La-
Mar took pride in this formation and by prac-
tice the men were soon able to outclass the
regiment, at guard mount. (Ed. — In their
opinion.) No guns were issued as yet, and.
sticks were substituted. At times this fact
caused amusement to some parties implicated
in the incidents. One very dark night. Acker-
man, Sergeant of the guard, was reconnoiter-
After
second
Capt. Clifford M. Iia Mar
ing his posts, w^hen a guard called, "Halt!
Who's there?" Ackerman did not answer
altho his movements could be heard,
his command had been ignored the
time, the guard called, "Halt, or I'll fire!" Of
course, Ackerman knew what kind of a gun
he had and so continued on his way, to the
wonderment of the guard who did not know
to whom he had been talking.
On October I st. Lieutenant Stevens was
transferred to Camp Jackson. On the 2nd,
Corporal Patterson was made a sergeant. On
October 7th, Hall, Walker, Stracke, Stouten-
berg, Butler and Carpenter were made Cor-
porals.
At this time the men were receiving their
"shots in the arm" and many were sick. A
new feature was also added to the schedule,
that of grooming horses at the remount sta-
tion. A gun position was built and camou-
flaged. No guns were available so some were
improvised. The carpenters and mechanics
pieced together wheels, soap boxes and sal-
vaged fixtures from an old bath room and
made some very presentable three-inch pieces.
Mascots became the vogue and Battery "D"
tried several dogs and cats which were not
quite suitable, until one day Carpenter brought
in a muddy, sorrowful, pitiful looking, cowed
Airedale. This seemed to meet the require-
ments. He was dubbed "Bum." But he fell
from grace by constantly breaking the ninth
general order, which resulted in a summary
court-martial and dismissal from the camp
areas.
Passes were issued to Battle Creek promis-
cuously, and to cities farther away in limited
numbers. Visitors flocked to the camp every
Sunday. Automobiles were continually flit-
ting about the camp streets. Kodaks were
intercepted at the entrance and a carload of
them was checked and piled in a heap there
every Sunday. In spite of this precaution
many excellent pictures of Custer and camp
life were taken.
On November 3rd Handley wras warranted
a Corporal and Hall advanced to Sergeant.
Sergeant Patterson was promoted to First Ser-
geant.
The artillery section of the camp became
completed and the 1 60th Field Artillery Bri-
gade moved to the west end of the camp in
time for their first Thanksgiving dinner in the
army. Each organization was given a large
barracks and a spacious recreation building.
As the new recruits began to come in as a re-
sult of later drafts and the organizations took
on war strength the recreation buildings had to
be used as barracks. "D" was located in
buildings 1306-1317.
As time went on "D" lost men by transfer
and new recruits came to take their places.
This meant continual drill and study to keep
the Battery at an efficient standard. A non-
comissioned officers' school was established
and complete equipment and uniforms were
issued to the men.
During December Herbert A. Malin, Ben
Smith, Lawrence A. Ward, Frank B. Miles,
Harold Candler, Paul B. Sidler, Harry A.
Chrysler and Luther H. Atkinson were made
Corporals, Edward F. Seager was made Sup-
ply Sergeant and Corporal Butler advanced to
Sergeant.
Gas instruction w^as added to the curriculum
and gas mask drill became an important fea-
ture. Horses were drawn and the barracks
formerly used by civilian laborers were trans-
formed into stables. Corrals w^ere built. A.
W. O. L. crept into the tranquility of the sys-
tem and resulted in several court-martials. A
regimental school of fire was installed and "D"
sent her quota of men. A Battery Command-
er's Detail w^as very vaguely formed and a
number of men were given the technical in-
struction needed in modern warfare. Ameri-
can 3-inch guns \fere issued, with equipment.
Sergt. Ward received a letter from his girl
asking why he wasn't an officer. He replied
that he qualified as a Sergeant.
114 —
Sub-calibre firing, followed later by problems
on indirect firing with shrapnel, resulted.
Corporals Atkinson, Walker and Stouten-
burg were promoted to Sergeants by the mid-
dle of January. In the meantime Corpora!
Hall, Sergeant Patterson and Private Mc-
Lachlan were sent to the Officers' Training
School. Sergeant Butler was made Stable Ser-
geant, and Corporal Smith, Mess Sergeant.
Sergeant Ackerman again acted in the capacity
of 1st Sergeant. He continued in this position
until early February when he was sent to Bri-
gade School and Sergeant Stoutenburg put in
his place. Sergeant Stoutenburg carried on
this work until his turn came to go to the
school of fire, when he was succeeded by Ser-
geant Atkinson, who was warranted 1 st Ser-
geant on March 20. Lieutenants Brown and
Bartlett were advanced to ist Lieutenants on
January I, 1918.
The winter was one of the hardest ever
known in Michigan, the snow piled to the win-
dow ledges. Combating the undesirable ef-
fects of nature's onslaught sufficed to keep sev-
eral men busy all of the time. Floods fol-
lowed and the stables suffered most. Groom-
ing muddy horses was bad, but grooming
them in water was worse. During the wet and
muddy periods it was necessary to exercise the
horses. This was tedious and unpleasant. Af
many periods the Battery was short of men,
which forced non-coms and privates to work
together, long and late. Coal had to be shov-
eled and fires kept up, stables and horses cared
for, harness kept clean and the barracks
mopped and swept, meals had to be prepared
and cooked and dishes washed. Special duty
and office men and those going to school di-
minished the ranks from which to choose de-
tails. During the course of instruction it was
necessary to study the British 75's and several
problems were fired with them on the range.
Mounted passes were issued on Saturday after-
noons and Sundays and many enjoyable trips
to nearby towns were made possible. Pistol
practice was inaugurated and reviews came
periodically.
Volunteers were called for to go to Wash-
ington as lumberjacks, to assist in getting ma-
terial for aeroplanes. The Tank Service, En-
gineers and Officers' Training Schools, Dis-
charges and Desertions each drew a little on
the Battery. It was an enormous task to make
a capable fighting Battery under the difficulties
which arose.
The Y. M. C. A., K. of C. and Liberty The-
atre offered some diversion. Athletic meets
in the spring proved popular. Singing schools
were started and in the spring baseball and
push-ball became favorite sports. And then
there was "Sick Call," the old reliable which
could be depended upon to pull a man out of
work once in a while, if he was not pushed too
hard or too often. This was counteracted by
the 96th General Order. Whenever a man
was due for punishment and no other martial
law specifically governed his case the 96th wa»
always on deck to fill the need.
During March Corporal Stracke's status was
changed from Corporal to Cook. Corporals
Ward and Miles were made Sergeants. April
saw Louis H. Erkfitz made Corporal, Dudley
P. Miller made Cook and Corporal Handley
made a Sergeant. Private McLachlan returned
from the O. T. S. In the course of the next
month Private McLachlan was made a Cor-
poral. Corporal Chrysler advanced to Ser-
FlrBt Iiient. Andrew H. Thompson
geant. Cook Miller made a Sergeant and later
Mess Sergeant. Sergeant Walker returned
from Training School. Sergeant Smith was
made a cook.
Many amusing incidents happened at Custer
which will be cherished by those w^ho will
never forget. No one present will forget the
time our rotund Cook, Ben Smith, was assisted
in mounting a horse by Lieutenant Brown. He
did not seem to realize that he was to stop
when directly over the horse, so continued on
to terra firma on opposite side. And then our
routine was marred by Theo. Kallas, a Greek,
who came with the February draft. He was
dealt with very forcibly in the Battery with
no avail and finally v^ras sent to Fort Leaven-
w^orth for fifteen years.
In early June Corporal Sidler, Corporal
Malim and Corporal McLachlan were made
Sergeants and Privates Ambrose and Hodson
were made Corporals.
In June the largest draft came and filled the
organization to war strength again. The ad-
vance party, consisting of Lieutenants Thomp-
son and Bartlett, Sergeant McLachlan and Pri-
vate Temple, left on July 1 0 for France. Ex-
citement ran high in camp. When would we
go? Where would we go? We began to
scent the fury of battle from afar. Tension
reigned. The camp was quarantined. Passes
were banned. The men who came in June
were not permitted to see their relatives or -
— 115 —
friends. Time ■was short, everything must be
done quickly. Uniforms were issued to the
new men. After a w^eek and a half of exam-
inations, vaccinations and inspections they
mingled with the old men and were barely
distinguishable, except in drill. They were
drilled hard in order to get them in as good
a shape as possible before leaving Custer.
The Battery was divided into properly pro-
portioned sections and platoons. Acting non-
coms were appointed to fill the vacancies
which this arrangement made. Inspections fol-
lowed inspections. Complete equipment was
issued. Finally the word came and we left
Camp Custer at I I :00 a. m., July 16th. Bat-
First Uent. Stacy Ii. Brown
tery "C" w^as on the same train. The trains
left about one hour apart, four being necessary
tc carry the regiment. We passed thru Detroit
about 4:30 p. m. The Red Cross served us a
lunch at the station. The train stopped for
over an hour about midnight at Niagara Falls,
Canada. The Canadian Red Cross gave us
cigarettes and chocolate candy. We followed
the West Shore Railroad and stopped at Ra-
venna, New York, for exercise. We reached
Wehawken, New Jersey, about 4:00 p. m.,
July 1 7, where we waited for the remainder
of the regiment, before crossing ^ew York
Harbor by ferry to Brooklyn. We then took
the Long Island R. R. to Garden City and de-
trained. We marched to Camp Mills, arriving
about 1 1 :30. It was dark and raining.
Our entrance into Camp Mills was marked
with weariness and exhaustion. Many men fell
out of ranks and followed later. The Garden
City parks were dotted wth perspiring men,
who stopped a few minutes to recuperate.
Water was scarce and we were all thirsty. The
heavy packs were bearing on our tired shoul-
ders and the mud was clinging to our shoes.
We slept that night under shelter of tents in
the farthest corner of the camp.
Camp Mills was obscured by dust during
the greater part of our stay there. Our two
weeks' sojourn in Camp Mills was a very busy
one. Passes were granted to New York City,
Rockaway Beach, Jamaica, Hemstead and
other nearby points. Ice cream was sold in
the canteens, six bricks for a half dollar. This
was our last taste of ice cream until our return
to America, except the tiny bites sold on the
boat at very exorbitant British prices. Mineola
Aviation Field, one of the largest aviation cen-
ters of the country, was located at Camp Mills,
and the sky was usually darkened by aero-
planes. It was our first chance to see fighting
planes and their maneuvers were very fascinat-
ing. Dozens of them were over our heads at
all times. One plane made a fatal landing and
swooped so near our Battery, which was drill-
ing, that the men were forced to drop to the
ground for safety.
Camp Mills was located on a very level ex-
tent of country and ample room was given to
drill grounds. We slept in tents, arranged in
company streets. Each tent contained eight
iron cots. Every day we furled the tents for
three hours. Policing orders were very strict
in Mills and this city of tents always presented
a neat, spectacular appearance. The greatest
offset was the dust, which penetrated our
clothes and made cleanliness next to impossi-
ble.
Inspections were thrust upon us mercilessly.
Clothing, personnel, physical, mess kit, can-
teen, and inspection of our tents and bunks,
helped to shorten the trying days on the eve
of our departure. Clothing was issued and
turned in, re-issued, inspected and checked.
Orders were confusing and confused. We
were impatient and irritable toward discipline.
We wanted to go over! Finally overseas caps
were issued. They created many laughs and
their practicability was questioned. Later
they proved their efficiency. Spiral leggings,
or puttees, were issued and many a battle was
won by persistence and endurance in the early
morning hour of reveille. Here we lost ex-
Corporal Candler, one of the most popular
fellows in the outfit. He was sent to the
hospital. Privates Cochran, Schiff, Knapp,
Johnson and "Ink" Mcintosh were also
left in the hospital. "Ink" was undoubtedly
one of the most amusing characters we have
ever met. He was of Scotch descent and had
many peculiarities. It was his lot to be the
butt of many a joke. It was worth the admis-
sion price to any show^ to see him try to change
step, or carry out any military command.
Fourteen casuals were assigned to us here. The
office work was tremendous. A great many
records had to be made and many details at-
tended to, relative to allotments, addresses,
etc. Sergeant Malim, battery clerk, assisted
by Sergeant Ambrose and Corporal Hanna,
worked all the day and all of the night, previ-
ous to our leaving, to get the sailing list in
proper shape. Office facilities were very poor.
116 —
Before leaving Mills, Henry Sigg was trans-
ferred from Battery "F" to us. Ciaccia and
Olaskowicz were A. W. O. L. and did not sail
with us.
At noon, July 30th, we left Camp Mills and
marched to the Garden City depot. Here we
entrained and rode to Long Island City on
East River and then were ferried to South
Brooklyn piers, where our ship, the "Maun-
ganui," a New Zealand boat, awaited. After
several hours' delay in the sheds, we em-
barked. The boat did not leave until ten
o'clock the next day. It was the beginning of
our trip across the big pond and orders were
laid down pretty stiffly. Among other things
we were told to throw away all of our matches.
That was so we could not signal to a subma-
rine. Some men were fortunate enough to
affect ignorance of the order, and so by mental
and financial persuasion we were able to keep
smoking. We slept in hammocks, on the floor,
on tables and on deck, just as our fancy di-
rected. We were crowded, to be sure, because
it was essential that we get over as soon as
possible. The "Maunganui" was making its
maiden trip for Uncle Sana in a convoy with
I 5 others, including one British destroyer and
one cruiser. We were escorted out of New
York harbor by a number of U. S. battle-
ships and seaplanes. The first night out was
a corker, and by the looks of the deck and
saloons next morning it was not very hard to
convince anyone that it had been a rough
night. They fed us English rations and we in
turn fed them to the fishes. It was very cold
and we were compelled to put up with the
added nuisance of wearing at all times a life
preserver. It was usually foggy. A life boat
drill was held once each day and also fifteen
minutes of calisthenics, when the men were
able to stand up. There was a canteen on
board which sold ice cream for fifty cents a
pint and crackers for two bits a throw. Every-
thing else^was in proportion. On August I 0th
we saw the coast of Scotland and Ireland.
We were met by a convoy of destroyers and
convoyed in the remainder of the trip. No
submarines were seen, altho on several oc-
casions we were on the anxious seat. Saw
three whales and many other kinds of large,
peculiar fish at various intervals. On August
1 1 th we arrived at Liverpool, England, and
marched thru the city behind a "bobby" on a
horse. We were given a fine reception. The
English girls lined the streets the whole dis-
tance of the march. We entrained at Liver-
pool and rode to Derby for lunch, very light,
from there we went to Southhampton. The
trains were good. Arrived at Southhampton
at 9:00 p. m. and hiked six miles to a rest
camp, carrying full packs. The only things
these camps rest is your stomach. We got to
bed shortly after midnight and slept on a
wooden floor in a so-called barracks. We got
up the next morning with aching bones and
hungry as usual. After mess we stood another
of the famous army inspections and final ex-
cunination before entering France. Lasted
just five seconds to the man by the watch. We
still had our watches. We then again strapped
on our packs and hiked the six miles back to
the city. You know the old slogans, "Join the
Navy and See the World," and "Join the Ar-
tillery to Ride."
We thot it strange that we should come
back to the pier in daytime as we did, but soon
Iiieut. Harry K. Qemuend
found that it had been well planned as usual,
because the thermometer registered 1 00 in the
shade, and it helped to bring us down to fight-
ing weight, after having fattened up for twelve
days on English rations. Here we boarded
the "Harvard," which formerly had been an
American pleasure boat, for our trip across
the channel. The sailors told us it was just
like shaking hands with death when we
stepped on that boat. We were given English
hard tack and never realized before how es-
sential it was to have good teeth in the army.
Arrived at Le Havre, France, and disem-
barked about II a. m. The first thing we
saw was a long Red Cross train pull in carrying
wounded soldiers. We then knew we wera
near real war. As usual we hoisted our packs
and hiked to what was again known as a rest
camp. The camp was at the top of a mountain
and we drew the back end of the camp. In
this respect we got to see the entire camp and
never missed anything. Tents without bunks
were beginning to be comfortable. Several
hundred German prisoners were held here
within a large stockade with several barbed
wire picket fences. During the night the dis-
tant roar of guns could be heard from the
northern front and w^e for the first time slept
with the fear of an aeroplane raid. Eggs and
herring to eat. Left next day noon and re-
traced the seven miles back to the railway
station, after our rest. Here we boarded box
cars and rode to Messac.
That ride will never fade from our memory.
Forty men were loaded into each car which
bore the sign, "Hommes 40, Cheveaux 8."
The cars were dinky little affairs, about half
the length of an American box car. War was
raging and quick results were necessary, else
we would have been given better accommoda-
tions. Sleep was next to impossible. There
117 —
was not sufficient room to lie down, and to
augment our uncomfort each car had one or
more square wheels. Our destination was un-
known and the French names were very un-
familiar at that stage of the game. We trav-
eled slowly and made frequent sidings. We
passed thru Rouen, Versailles, on the outskirts
of Paris, Chartres, Nogent, Le Mans, Laval,
Rennes, etc., and after three days arrived at
Messac-Guipry, department of Ille et Villlaine.
There we found the Villaine river, and be-
side it a beautiful green. We pitched pup
tents and remained there that night. In the
morning we were permitted to swim and bathe
in the river. It was deep, dark and sluggish.
The banks were fringed with pond lilies and
tall grass. The water was cold, but the air was
warm. At night the dew was heavy and the
atmosphere very chilly. We found this true
all over France.
The billeting officers located places for us
to stay and the regiment was split into many
groups which were billeted in the village and
within a radius of several miles around it.
Some of the men were in private houses, some
in barns and stables and some in wonderful
old chateaus. We drew one chateau and two
stables. The Battery was split into three parts.
We stayed in this location until August 25.
Men were sent to school to learn the intricacies
of the French 75. The general training was
continued.
While there twelve Corporals were war-
ranted: V. L. Beach, Frank H. Cooper, Leo
Grossman, H. A. Levantine, Elmer J. Hanna,
John Hertel, Clyde W. Toush, George E. Enos,
Victor H. Reilly, Glen H. Smith, Harold H.
Pfoeber and Carl L. Schoendorf.
We left Messac via the hob-nail route for
Maure, a distance of ten kilometers, where we
E2u-Iy one morning, at the front, Lieut. Ge-
muend's attention was called to the fact that
he wore only one spur. "Good night," he said,
as he turned toward a clump of bushes, "I must
have left it stickins' in the horse." This has
official corroboration.
camped for the night. The next day we hiked
ten more kilos to Camp de Coetquidan, an old
camp once occupied by Napoleon. Here we
were quartered in stone barracks. The camp
was very unsanitary, but offered many induce-
ments to us. It was on the edge of a small
town, which catered to American troops, and
was keen on the trail of the franc. We were
given two months' pay the night of our arrival
there, our first overseas pay, and our first
struggle with the French money. We might
add here that there was never a French bill
ever printed that would last thru one night's
session of dice or poker. We began to appre-
ciate the American dollar in more ways than
one.
It was at Coetquidan that we received our
real traitiing in European warfare. The Instru-
ment Detail had studied the theory of Ameri-
can firing in Custer for six months and after
delving into the mysteries of French fire found
their knowledge of little avail. Now the theory
of conducting fire by map was brought out and
the members of the detail were taught map
Ever see Butler on the warpath? Or Deitrich
without a sore leg? Or Hobbs without his char-
acteristic hobble? Or "Debs" Goodchild with-
out a grouch? Or "Caruso" Vrooman when he
wasn't singing? Or "Snakey" Wales when he
wasn't looking for a crap game? Or Ward
when he wouldn't fight?
work from the study of co-ordinates to the
Lambert projection. They were issued full
equipment and the real work of the detail be-
gan, that of studying the mechanism of the in-
struments, making charts and observing fire,
mixed with the locating of positions and
reconnaissance v.ork. Each man in the de-
tail was capable of handling any instrument,
from the slope alidade to the more complex
range finder, and the magic number was con-
stantly on their minds.
The telephone detail was sent to school for
six weeks, and under the influence of the teach-
ing and personality of Corporal Russell, the
instructor, they progressed rapidly. The ma-
chine gunners were equipped with guns and
ammunition. They went to school and worked
on the range. They were able to take down
and assemble their guns while blindfolded.
Camouflage schools, orientation and reconnais-
sance were sent representatives by "D." Ser-
geant McLachlan, Sergeant Miles and Corporal
Kells were sent to the Officers' Training School
at Saumur.
Sergeant Sidler was transferred as an Artil-
lery Instructor. Lieutenant Alexander Lange
joined us here. Lieutenant Bartlett was trans-
ferred to Brigade Headquarters as Operations
Officer. Alfred L. Burns was made Telephone
Corporal on September 25. Two days later
Corporals Ambrose and Carpenter were made
Sergeants. On October 2nd Clifford Boze was
made a Corporal and sent to Radio School.
On the fifteenth Ford S. Johnson was made a
Corporal and Corporal Neff advanced to Ser-
geant.
We were impressed with the deep signifi-
cance of the gas mask and drilled daily with it.
We were taught its uses, how to care for it and
make repairs. We engaged in contests for
speed in getting it on. From the time the
alarm is heard until the mask is properly ad-
justed should not take more than six seconds,
and breathing should be stopped until the
mask is securely in place. We listened to lec-
tures by Lieutenant Casey, Regimental Gas In-
structor, and by Corporal Erkfitz, who was
made Gas Sergeant. In digression it might be
1 18
interesting to know that Sergeant Erkfitz was
nicknamed, "Sniff Gently" by the fellows, and
is said to have notified only his friends when
a gas attack was put over at the front. How-
ever gas mask drill and instruction was a seri-
ous matter and its absorption was vital.
Problems were fired on the range with our
French 75's which were issued here. Wire
cutting, creeping fire, box barrages and de-
struction fire were studied and practiced. We
made the best record on the range of any or-
ganization that ever came to Coetquidan. We
coupled this record with that of being the most
reckless and best all round fellows that ever
paid five francs for a dime's worth of deli-
cacies.
Steel helmets were added to our equipment.
Long hikes thru mud and rain served to fit
"Tiny" Klein absolutely refuses to be con-
genial to the Corporals. At Coetquidan he says
they kept him awake when he tried to sleep.
us for duty at the front. On September 23
the regiment advanced to and occupied a po-
sition several miles from camp and fired a
morning barrage. Our training was tense, we
were almost ready to "go in."
1st Sergeant Aikinson was transferred to
the O. T. S. and several men left in the hos-
pital.
The topography of the country was hilly
and full of many interesting spots. Many
pleasure excursions were made and reconnoi-
tering trips by the details. Hundreds of cafes
offered products of the country in liquid and
edible forms. Many thousand francs were left
behind us when we left Napoleon's stamping
ground, on October 23.
We marched to Guer and then rode by train
to Andelot. We marched from there to Hum-
berville, a little village. Wooden barracks had
been built here. We slept in double-deck,
rudely contrived bunks. The barracks were in
a basin at the foot of several surrounding hills.
The top of the hills formed a vast plateau,
which was an ideal place to establish observa-
tory stations. The Chaplain established a
recreation room in an old hostelry in which he
unearthed a piano, of uncertain age and tone.
Our stay in Humberville was short. We
moved out on October 30th and spent tVe
night on the outskirts of Toul. It was dark
when we arrived and no lights were permissi-
ble as we were in dangerous territory. Air
raids were a daily occurrence. When we
awoke we found that we were sleeping in a
field which was being used as a burying
ground. Hundreds of graves, freshly made,
containing American and German dead, met
our gaze. Many graves, yet unfilled, were
yawning for their unjust due.
The mounds were in uniform rows, marked
by plain wooden crosses. Here and there the
grave of an officer or a soldier who had won
distinctive honor was unsparingly decorated
with flowers. A large French military ceme-
tery adjoined. The monuments were of intri-
cate design, skillfully made with various hued
beads. An old stone fort, badly dilapidated,
which had long ago been deserted, made a fit-
ting background.
During our noon mess hour we witnessed an
air battle that lasted thirty minutes. The Ger-
man raider was driven back over the lines, but
was not brought to the ground. The day was
quiet and the white puffs of smoke from the
anti-aircraft g^ns hung like polka dots in the
azure sky. Later these sights became casual
to us.
We moved by night to Lagney and camped
during the late hours of the night on the edge
of the Essey woods, which were the scene of
the big American drive which begun on Sept.
12. Before daylight we moved under their
cover.
On the morning of November 2nd while
the oufit was laying in the woods. Captain
LaMar made a trip to the front lines to find a
position for the Battery. Upon returning in
the early afternoon he ordered the chiefs of
sections to report to him in his quarters, which
was a tarpaulin hung from one tree to another
as a protection from the rain which was falling
very heavily upon the already well soaked
earth. As they filed under the covering and
reported to the Captain, they could feel that
something of a grave importance was going to
happen. He sat on a box with a very grim ex-
pression upon his face and a determined look
in his eyes. Near him on other boxes sat Lieu-
tenants Brown, Lange, Thompson and Ge-
muend. The first words of the Captain, after
they had reported were, "Well, we are going
into position tonight. We leave here at five
o'clock. Have everything ready to leave at
Good night! Do you remember the time Cook
Smith was on the ammunition detail at the front?
We would call the attention of "Fatty" Arbuckle
to the plot for a good movie.
that time. Take one gun crew of each section,
and I want you men to realize the responsibil-
ity you are under. 1 want you to provide
every way you possibly can for the protection
of your men and if at any time 1 can be of any
assistance to you do not hesitate to come di-
rectly to me."
During that meeting it was arranged that we
would place two guns in position that night,
the first and second pieces as they are called
in a firing battery. The third section to assist
the first and the fourth to give their aid to the
second. The following night the first and sec-
ond sections would help the third and fourth
to place their guns.
Promptly at 5 o'clock the entire Battery left
119 —
the woods and proceeded as far as Pannes,
where the echelon separated from the firing
battery. The echelon under the command of
Lieutenant Gemuend with Sergeant Ward next
in charge going west and the firing battery
with Captain LaMar in command accompanied
by Lieutenants Lange and Thompson started
north. Sergeant Stoutenburg was Chief of
Section, of first section. Sergeant Carpenter of
the second, Sergeant Neff of the third and Ser-
geant Hanley of the fourth.
It is needless to try to describe that trip.
No one will ever know unless they have ex-
perienced the same kind some time or other.
It was raining and it was so dark that we were
unable to see our hands a foot from our faces,
the mud varied in depth from two inches to
two feet. The Ammunition Train of the Bat-
tery, under command of Sergeant Malim, was
also on its way to the front with the firing
battery.
Pvts. Bundy and Ackerman were the first men
in Battery D to carry a full pack in 1919. From
reports of "Jaisville," the trip was worth it.
It seemed like ages but at last we arrived at
the place where the Captain said our guns
were to be. There were shell holes filled with
water every few feet in any direction you
might walk and the air was sure blue that night
for every few minutes some one would land in
one of these holes.
We started to dig in. The brush, roots,
rocks and mucky earth made it an everlasting
job. We used our picks, our shovels and our
hands and could not make much headway. It
would have been a difficult task in daylight,
but it was the blackest of nights and we could
not use a light for fear of being discovered.
About midnight we ate our sandwich, which
v^fas all the food we had, and proceeded again
with the work. It was nearing two o'clock and
we hadn't heard a noise. Sergeant Stouten-
burg said to Sergeant Neff, "I don't believe
that this is our regular position. They are just
trying us out. What do you think about it?"
The reply, "No, I don't believe we will ever
fire a gun from this position." And we pro-
ceeded with the work when at 2:15 a. m.
something happened which none of us will
ever forget. It seemed as if the entire heav-
ens were lighted with one big torch and it
was accompanied by one continuous roar.
The entire immediate section was filled with
guns and they had all let loose at the same
time. It lasted just fifteen minutes and
stopped as suddenly as it had begun. If there
were any doubts about us not being at the
front, they were all wiped away.
At four o'clock the Captain called Sergeants
NefF and Hanley of the third and fourth sec-
tions and told them to take two horses and go
to the echelon and get some rest, as we would
be out the following night. They started and
soon ran into Lieutenant Thompson, who was
on the way to the echelon with part of the Am.
train. They joined them, and proceeded as
far as Pannes and w^ere lost as no one knew the
direction of the echelon. As they were trying
to find out from the soldiers quartered in
Pannes in which direction the echelon lay, it
began to turn daylight and this rather pleased
them, as it seemed like years since they had
last seen day. As they had about given up
hopes of learning from any one which way to
go along came Lieutenant Lange and he was
under the impression they should go west and
west they started. After going a short dis-
tance, they met Major Reynolds and he in-
formed them that they were going in the right
direction. Also told them that the road v^ras
open to harassing fire by the Germans. They
proceeded on their way a weary lot, had gone
three or four miles and settled in their saddles
for a little rest when a shell passed over their
heads and burst a short distance from the
road. They began to sit up and take notice,
as they thought the Germans had a line on
them. They did a little double timing and a
few minutes brought them into Nonsard.
They hadn't any more than arrived there until
the second shell also arrived. This time the
burst was a little short and it landed in a
church on the right and the stones came rat-
tling down on them. They began to think one
would get them, but kept going. Several shots
were fired, but none came any closer than the
first two. They arrived at the echelon at 7:30
and it wasn't long until they were asleep.
Captain LaMar, Sergeant Stoutenburg and
Sergeant Carpenter accompanied by the men
of the four gun crews returned to the echelon
later in the morning.
That afternoon at four o'clock, in order to
One of our men, unskilled in the native tongue
of the cafes, being tired of making signs and
drawing pictures, discovered a new way of or-
dering eggs (oeufs). He says take a small dog,
of the lap variety, 'with you when in search of
the soft-boiled. Woog-ouf-ouf !
arrive there after dark, they had arranged the
afternoon before to place the third and fourth
pieces in place that night and they started to
work. The work continued all night long and
yet very little was accomplished toward having
good positions. At five o'clock orders came
to be in readiness to advance, so we stayed by
the guns. At seven o'clock orders came for
us to be ready to fire at night. We rolled our
guns into the camouflage and were ready.
Real warfare for the Detail started for us
on the morning of November 3rd when ■we
were destined to locate a gun position and as
we had expected, no geodetic points were
visible. But, not to be foiled by this little ob-
— 120 —
stacle, we found a very prominent place mark
and traversed twelve hundred meters across an
open field and mostly in view of the enemy
lines. The traverse was very successfully made
with goniometer and chain, but upon nearing
the completion of our work the sky became
suddenly darkened by the density of the en-
emy planes and we were forced to take cover
more than once. It was our first real experi-
ence of being under fire and shrapnel Wcks fall-
ing thick and fast accompanied by the whirring
of the casings from the anti-aircraft shells.
This our first experience and rather warm at
that, proved anything but interesting for us.
This experience was the first of many ex-
citing times for us, as our chief duty was locat-
ing positions and observing both enemy and
allied fire. After locating and laying the bat-
tery came the locating and establishing of the
O. P. station, which finally was chosen two
kilometers in front of our guns and very near
our own trenches. The observation post con-
sisted of a platform in the top of a large tree
and from which the observer could scan the
entire territory and conduct fire on most any
German position in that sector.
Some very interesting moments were spent
in that tree or near it. Some members of the
detail have remarked that it was mighty fortu-
nate for the tree that some of "Jerry's" shells
were only "Duds." Not only was the O. P. a
very interesting place, but the roads to the
post caused many comments. Fully two kilo-
meters of nothing but bottomless mud filled
with the imprints of the "Austrian 88's" for
one to fall into while trying to make their way
forward in the dark. The road, if such it can
be called, was very narrow and wound its way
through an almost complete wilderness and
was crossed a number of times by the resist-
ance wires of the engineers, making the trip
to the O. P. a matter of wading, climbing and
crawling.
The detail was led by Lieutenant Stacy L.
Brown, as orientation and reconnaissance offi-
cer, and his efficiency proved a stimulant to
the men and their co-operation with him is
mainly responsible for the success of the de-
tail.
The instrument section of Battery D was
composed of the following members, who
proved very efficient: Sergeant R. A. Am-
brose, Corporal F. S. Johnson, Private E. F.
Arnold, Corporal H. A. Levantine, Private A.
F. Lehr, and Private H. P. Gelslighter.
Immediately upon our arrival at Camp
Coetquidan a number of the boys from the
detail, including Sergeant Chrysler, Corporals
Levantine, Hanna, Enos, Wyse and Hertel and
Privates Burns, Dunning, Carson, Arnold,
Bundy and Riedsema, had been selected to go
to telephone school to learn the army system
of communication at the front. This course
lasted six weeks, six morning sessions each
week, the afternoon being spent on practice
work. Every man had very good grades on
his examination papers.
As the telephone gang was left rather short-
handed upon their arrival at the front. Cor-
poral Hertel being left in the hospital and Cor-
poral Hanna being put in charge of the ammu-
nition crews to requisition and keep all of the
guns supplied with shells, and Corporal Levan-
tine and Private Arnold going to the instru-
ment section. Corporal Boze and Privates
Ackerman, McCracken and McWatters were
put on the phones. It was found, however,
that the operators could not get enough rest,
having 24 hours on duty and 24 hours' rest,
after deducting meal time and walking to and
from positions, therefore the work was facili-
tated by putting Privates Fuller and Arnold
on and by rearranging the shifts.
Our telephone detail should be compli-
A censor's ideal letter: "Dear Ma Having
nothing to do, I will write to you. Having
nothing to say, mil close. Love. Son."
mented on their very efficient work at the
front. They were dubbed in fun as "Hello
Girls," but just the same they came across with
the necessary information, etc., to keep things
going.
The morning we laid our line from the guns
to the O. P., Sergeant Chrysler, Corporal Boze,
Corporal Burns and Private McWatters
stretched the wire all the way, while "Fritz's"
aeroplanes were dropping a few messages
complimenting them on their speedy w^ork, but
fortunately these messages went wild.
Sergeant Chrysler is praised by all his men
for this efficient work, at least by those who
were on the shift when he bravely ventured
forth to the front line trenches and procured a
nice mess of bully beef and hard tack for his
men who had had nothing to eat for some
hours. Of course that was one of the duties of
a Chief of Section, but it is the one so many
of them fall down on.
Another little occurrence worth mentioning
is a day when Corporal Boze, of the telephone
detail, and Private Lehr, of the instrument de-
tail, were at the O. P. One of them was
thoughtful enough to take a can of sardines
for a little lunch while at their post. Corporal
Boze left his telephone in charge of Lehr long
enough to go to a nearby dugout to indulge
in a sardine-hardtack sandwich. Just as Boze
returned to relieve Lehr so he could have a
little bite, some of those whizz-bangs started
coming over and one happened to light pretty
close, spraying mud all over the two. The
shell burst just between Lehr and the sardines.
Lehr came to an abrupt halt, made a very un-
military about face and said, "To hell with
the sardines. I'll starve."
Our stay at the front was one hideous
dream. The official records of our firing may
— 121
be found in another article, "The Second Bat-
taHon at the Front."
The rain came down almost incessantly and
■we worked in twenty-four hours shifts. The
time spent for meals and traveling to and from
the echelon came out of the twenty-four off
and consumed nearly a third of them.
It was our duty to defend a small patch of
w^oods, a road and a narrow gauge railroad.
The road ran perpendicular to the railroad.
Our guns were placed in advance of the road
and on the right, near the intersection of the
railroad and the road. They were flanked
both right and left by a machine gun. The
ammunition dump was at the intersection of
the railroad and the road to Beney, one-half
mile farther back.
Probably the must rude awakening ever re-
ceived by Pvt. Lee ^vas on the morning he hur-
riedly extracted himself from the mire into
which his tired body had sunk during one of
the nights v^e spent at the front. He vf&s on
the ammunition detail that night and had
crawled under the muzzle of the third section
piece and remained there all night in sweet re-
pose. The first shot of the early morning bar-
rage roared in his ears and he thought a Big
Bertha had landed at his feet. He was next seen
with a spade.
The telephone central station was in a dug-
out on the back side of the road and about five
rods from the battery commander's dugout.
A narrow trench connected the telephone dug-
out with the executive officer's dugout. Lieut.
Thompson was the executive officer at the
guns and he worked night and day, without
relief, catching a nap whenever possible. No
officer in "this man's army " is entitled to more
credit for bravery and endurance than Lieut.
Thompson. He was a man through and
through and never shirked his duty.
About three yards from this dugout was an-
other cache used for canned provisions. It
was usually devoid of food. This was used
as headquarters for the gas sentries. A tall
hedge ran just back of the road and was an
ideal protection against observation. Small
string, almost invisible, was used to mark the
paths Vire were allovt^ed to traverse with the
most safety. No one was permitted to walk
in any other place. The reason for this was
that enemy photographs were made daily froni
aeroplanes and any new marks on the terrain
would be noted and give away our position.
The road, or such it was called, was impas-
sable and the constant target of the enemy.
It was pock-marked with shell holes. In fact
the territory for miles had the appearance
of a sieve, except that the water remained in
the shell holes. The soil was muck and clay.
The echelon was established at the village
of Nonsard, some six miles back, and the com-
mand post at Pannes about three miles back.
The regfimental telephone central was at Beney
a half mile back. These towns were always
under fire and vsrere raided by planes nightly.
Gas hung in spots over the whole section.
When we walked in grass and when w^e entered
old buildings, sneeze gas would arise and cause
us to sneeze until our heads would ache. It
made our eyes sore and our throats raw.
The early morning barrages, barring the
danger and the destructive intent, were beau-
tiful to behold. The heavens fairly opened
and the flashes from the guns and bursting
shells were bewilderingly fascinating. The re-
ports of the guns, the noise of the breaking
shells and their whirr as they sped through
the air made a roar that rang in our ears for
months after the armistice was signed.
When the light made things visible each
morning fresh shell holes gaped at us. Some
of them were large enough to hold a small
house.
But let us pass over these days of gruelling
labor and merciless fighting. They were sick-
ening enough and so much has been written
about battles that it is best not to repeat again.
It is enough that the men of Battery D did
their part well and many a German, were he
alive today, could bear this out.
The order came down, "Cease firing!" The
tension snapped. It was eleven o'clock the
morning of the armistice. Hilarity did not
follow; instead, the thought of the war being
ended was too big to grasp so quickly in all
of its significance.
"Concealment not necessary" was shouted
to us by Lieut. Thompson. The Captain came
from his command dugout with a look of re-
lief on his tired features. The machine gun-
ners, like greasy rats, crawled from their em-
placements. The ammunition men dropped
their loads wherever they stood. The section
chief and men at the guns came from under
their flimsy camouflage and dragged their tired
bodies to the entrance of the telephone dug-
out, which seemed to be the central point of
meeting. The telephone men, with the ex-
ception of the operator on duty, came striding
to their station, in plain view, for the first time.
The gas sentries stopped their vigil. The cam-
ouflage guards were the first to leave the hid-
den paths and make foot tracks in the open.
The aeroplanes guards felt the relief from
straining their necks in watching the skies for
flying marauders. The men from the advance
observing station came straggling in with joy
written on their features.
There was no shouting but in its place visions
swept fitfully through their minds: visions of
a home-coming, of decent meals in lieu of
hardtack and beef uncertainly supplied, of
soft, warm beds, with clean, white sheets, in-
stead of wet branches and mud; of pleasant
evenings with family and friends, instead of
nights of bursting shells and flying shrapnel.
These visions passed quickly enough and the
needs of the moment were supplanted. They
122 —
thought of a good night's rest and a square
meal, close at hand.
The Captain and a few men went to Beney,
crossing the open field between our positions
and those occupied by the heavy artillery be-
hind us. This field was literally ploughed by
shells which had struck over us and short of
the larger guns. Several buildings only par-
tially demolished in this deserted village were
located and guards left to hold them until the
battery could move in and billet. The men
who were at the positions secured billets dur-
ing the afternoon and the echelon moved into
Beney about eight o'clock in the evening.
Temporary quarters were taken for the night
and better arrangements made the next day.
The Captain made a nice speech after break-
fast and told us to fix up our quarters as com-
fortable as possible and that he would try
and see what he could do for us in the way
of obtaining luxuries and amusements. We
took him at his word and worked all day clean-
ing up ruined houses and making them half
way presentable to live in. In the meantime
the Captain was getting a line on better bil-
lets. Shortly after midnight the whistle blew,
"Battery D outside," was the cry we heard.
"Roll packs immediately" was the next order.
In fifteen minutes the battery was assembled
outside. We thought the war had started again
and that the Germans were coming or some-
thing of that nature had happened.
The drivers and gun crews were forced to
go to the positions and haul the guns out
of the mire and through the fields to the road.
It was a beastly job and would have been a
nasty proposition in the daylight. The cais-
sons and limbers wrere emptied at the ammu-
nition dump and taken with the pieces back
to Beney, where they joined the remainder of
the battery, which had completed the rest of
the preparations to move. Black coffee and a
couple of hardtack biscuits were given to the
men and about 5 :00 a. m. the entire second
battalion started on the move from Beney.
We marched to Thiaucourt and then went
two kilometers out of our way and had to
countermarch. We determined the right di-
rection and continued. None of the men knew
the destination and it was a wearisome hike.
We carried full packs, all of our belongings
from our beds to our mess kits, including all
of our surplus clothing, overcoat, slicker, gas
mask, gun, extra pair of shoes, shelter tent,
steel helmet and souvenirs. Some of the men
had the additional weight of a heavy pair of
hip boots. We usually managed to stumble
along fairly well with this load under normal
conditions but just coming from a session at
the front and having had no sleep that night,
it proved to be an arduous task to v^ralk that
twenty-four miles.
There was ample evidence of heavy fighting
the entire length of the trip. We passed
through a number of small villages that were
totally destroyed. An orgy of destructive rage
was indicated by these villages. Much of the
devastation was no doubt an inevitable inci-
dent of war, but the evidence was beyond
dispute that a vast amount of the damage was
due to a calculating policy of wanton destruc-
tion that had no possible justification in the
laws of war. On either side of the road, as far
as visible, was a mass of barbed wire, trenches
and shell holes, with here and there the remains
of an abandoned gun, caisson, wagon or tank.
About eight o'clock we pulled into a mea-
dow and had a breakfast of bully beef, beans
and coffee. It was surely appreciated, because
the men who were relieved last at the guns
had been on duty for thirty-six hours and
had not tasted food for twenty-four. After a
Battery "O" Billets — Font-a-Mousson
short rest we pushed on. Walking was un-
usually hard on account of the hilly country
and frequently it ■was necessary to lend a hand
at the wheels of the pieces. The regiment was
reassembled near Bouillionville and about 3:00
o'clock we reached Pont-a-Mousson, our des-
tination.
We found this place to be a small city but
practically devoid of population. The city
had been taken by the Germans and recap-
tured after four days. It showed bad usage
by w^ar and was under continual fire for
months. It was not safe to live there and the
people had not had the opportunity to move
their belongings away. The city had been pil-
laged and we found the houses just as the
enemy had left them. We were the first Amer-
ican troops to arrive in Pont-a-Mousson after
— 123 —
the armistice, due to our forced march, so we
had the choice of billets. We settled tem-
porarily in the best places we could find on
short notice and the next morning located in
the choicest section of the city, in the best
group of residences. Here we found every-
thing the heart could desire in the way of
household comforts. The billets would have
done credit to a modern drawing room. We
had beds, stoves, good furniture, pictures on
the walls and in fact everything we could wish
for except the modern conveniences of elec-
All military rank titles were discarded while
we Vfere at the front. Everyone was called just
plain old Mister. This held especially true in
talking over a telephone or in written communi-
cation. During the night of Nov. 4, Lieut. Col.
Reynolds called from the Post Command Sta-
tion, at Pannes, asking for Mr. (Captain) La-
Mar, at Station No. 34 (Battery D). Some one
answered, saying he was Mr. LaMar, and Mr.
Reynolds gave him all of the firing data for an
early morning barrage. An hour later the Cap-
tain called Mr. Reynolds and said he was ready
to take the morning data. "Damn it," Mr. Rey-
nolds replied, "I gave it to you an hour ago."
"No, you didn't," answ^ered Mr. LaMar. "You're
crazy," shouted the Colonel. Finally they came
to an understanding and a call was sent to every
station and no one had received the data. Once
again a daring, English-speaking Jerry had crept
over the lines and successfully tapped our tele-
phone communication.
trie lights, etc., and even these were procured
later.
Each organization cleaned up the streets
and immediate vicinity of their billets and
made the city look respectable again. On
November 15 th we turned our horses over to
the Supply Company and took up a schedule
of light drill and athletics. A few short hikes
were made to keep our legs from getting stiff
after our intensive training and our strenuous
duties at the front. Men of athletic ability in
all lines of sport soon came back to their own
and in a short time we had a baseball, a foot-
ball, a basketball and a soccer team, or rather
several of each.
When we first came to the city it was rather
lonesome but soon other organizations began
to come and fill up the city. Provost guards
were detailed and turned over to the Provost
Marshal. The city was well guarded by regi-
mental and provost guards. The Y. M. C. A.
established a canteen and later installed three
more, in order to supply the demands of the
troops. The Salvation Army came and opened
a hut. They ran a canteen in addition to
their chocolate, pie and doughnut undertaking.
The Knights of Columbus came later and dis-
tributed playing cards, tobacco and numerous
other luxuries. They opened a recreation
room. The Chaplain opened a library, music
room and a recreation hall. Local talent shows
were planned and staged. We were then put
on circuit and many troops visited us. The
"Y" brought in a movie machine and we were
again permitted to meet our old film friends.
It was a very novel and also a pitiful sight
to see the released prisoners returning from
Metz. Pont-a-Mousson was situated on the
main road to Metz. It was a good road and
afforded easy walking. These men straggled
in day and night for weeks after the armistice
was signed. They came alone and in small
groups. Their uniforms were mixed and
ragged. Some were peaked and thin, showing
evidences of hunger, hard work and sickness.
Canadians came in wearing uniforms which the
Canadian army had discarded three years be-
fore. These men brought their possessions in
boxes and bags, strapped to their shoulders.
Some pushed wheelbarrow^s and others pulled
little wagons piled high with their necessities.
Among this motley procession w^ere men from
every nation in the world, old men and young
boys. Some had been captured only a short
time before the armistice and others had seen
three years of German labor. A great many
were wounded and crippled. Nearly all wore
beards.
During our stay in Pont-a-Mousson troops
from every allied army were billeted there.
The average of American troops was from
14,000 to 18,000, and others about 5,000.
Civilians began to drift back, reinstate them-
selves and rebuild their homes. Cafes opened,
also novelty shops. Later bread shops, gro-
ceries and meat shops. The various bands
gave concerts on the public square. The city
became alive with marching, drilling, hustling
soldiers and wandering civilians. Traffic was
tremendous through the city — trucks heavily
loaded with supplies and salvage maintained
a steady stream to and from the front. Cars
and motorcycles flashed through the city at
short intervals, carrying generals and messages.
Passes to Aix-les-Bains were issued and four-
teen men from our battery were fortunate to
receive one. The "Y" controlled this wonder-
ful leave area w^here money was surplus joy.
The men returned after two weeks brimful of
their pleasant experiences. While these men
were away all was not dull routine in the bat-
tery. We were preparing for a Christmas en-
tertainment and packages were arriving from
home filled w^ith "condensed" joy. The even-
ing of Christmas day the entertainment was
successfully staged.
During January the 7th Division inaugurated
a series of maneuvers. A sham battle was en-
acted near Rogersville, showing the proper .
movements of each branch of the service par-
ticipating. The doughboys captured two
towns. Corporals Hertel and Johnston were
sent, each with a guidon, to represent the gun
positions of Batteries D and F. Corporal Schoen-
dorf and Private McCracken left January 8
for Domvere to attend a three days' course
in general gas instructions. Corporal H. A.
Levantine was sent to Saizerais on January
124 —
I 3 to attend a liaison with aeroplane school,
conducted by the 354th and 8th Aeroplane
Squadrons. Saizerais was the headquarters of
the 7th Division. The school lasted one week,
during which time Levantine was rationed by
Company F, 5 th Engineers.
While in Pont-a-Mousson Lieut. Hicks of
Headquarters Company was assigned to us.
He proved to be of the same high caliber as
our other officers. He brought the distinction
of having interviewed the first drafted man to
enter Custer. This happened on September 5,
1917. The man was from Kalamazoo and was
assigned to the infantry. Before leaving Pont-
a-Mousson Lieut. Hicks was transferred to the
regular army.
During our sojourn in Pont-a-Mousson, Cor-
porals McClain and Erkfltz were advanced to
Sergeants, Private Urda was made Stable Ser-
geant and Sergeant Malim officially pronounced
as First Sergeant. On January 6th a machine
gun school was started. A night school for the
pursuit of educational subjects w^as promoted
and secured the interest of several of our men.
Some of the fellows who had been left behind
in hospitals and Officers' Training Schools
returned to us here. Chaplain Sorensen held
services on Sundays in an old cathedral which
had been the objective of many a shell. Hun-
dreds of thousands of allied soldiers passed
through the city returning to cities farther back.
Martial music could usually be heard either
night or day. In February a small army of
German prisoners was brought to the city to
do reconstruction work, remove the barricades
from the buildings and clean up the city in
general. The roads were repaired and the
former business activities of the city began to
flourish.
A short time before our departure horses
were drawn again and the duties of the men
became more tiresome. The drivers w^ent to
Lagney to get the "cheveaux" and experienced
a bad trip due to the rainy weather. The un-
sanitary condition of the horses proved to be
another problem. They were all clipped and
treated with medicinal preparations for killing
lice. Eventually the time to leave drevvf near
and the rolling equipment had to be painted
before it could be turned over. This equip-
ment was taken to Domgermain and turned
over to the 7th Division. The drivers who
made the trip suffered from the cold. The
roads were frozen and icy, the horses were un-
able to secure a footing and the trip was tedi-
ous both coming and going.
By February 1 0th all of our equipment
which was not needed had been turned over
and on the next day we loaded our baggage
and ourselves on trucks and were taken to
Douillard, where we entrained. Here again
we met our old friends, the French box cars.
An average of twenty-four men, a stove, all
personal baggage and three days' rations were
crowded into each car. We rode slowly and
made frequent stops and sidings, which en-
abled us to see some of the prettiest parts of
central France. The route was entirely new
to us, passing through Toul, Gondricourt,
Wassy, Troyes, Auxerre, Clamecy, Cosne,
Bourges, Vierzon, Tours, Chateau du Loir and
detraining at Besse sur Braye, February 1 3.
We marched without packs to St. Calais where
the regiment split and we were given Conflans
for our billeting place. Lieut. Thompson was
appointed Town Major and suitable quarters
were assigned to the men. The baggage was
brought by trucks. St. Calais was used as regi-
mental headquarters.
We left Conflans at 8:00 o'clock in the
morning, March 2, by foot. We joined the
regiment on the main road to Le Mans and
marched to Le Briel. Billeted there over-
night and marched next day to Camp D'Au-
vours, commonly called the Belgian Camp, be-
cause it was originally used by the Belgians.
Here we were billeted in wooden barracks
with double deck beds. We were given a
cootie bath and put through numerous inspec-
tions. The brigade assembled here and many
fellows saw their old friends in the 328th
and 330th again. Regimental kitchens, where
you stood in line in the rain for hours, was a
novel feature.
Departure from this camp was made with
full packs the morning of March 9th. We
marched through Change and Le Mans and
entrained at a forv^arding camp near Le Mans.
The "Y" passed out hot chocolate and cookies
which served as our dinner. American box
It was near midnight. The echelon was sleep-
ing. Suddenly the clear air was broken by the
screeching of the gas claxon. The sound was
taken up by the other gas sentries and soon the
echelon was a hubbub. Men were putting on
their gas masks in the dark. Several men vrere
unable to find theirs and went in frantic search
of the gas Nom-com, Sergt. Erkfitz, whom they
found in a stable, rolled in his blankets, with
his mask on. Desperately they asked for masks,
thinking every minute would be their last.
"Don't issue masks at night, come around in the
morning," sleepily drawled Erkfitz. And some-
one said that a plumber would make a good
Gas Sergeant because they knew all about gas-
kets and "sich" like.
cars, 54 men to a car, was our lot. The en-
tire regiment and most of the 328th was on
the train.
We rode until noon the next day and de-
trained at Brest. We passed through La Melen,
La Broze, Domfront, Conlie, Sille le Ouillaume,
Evron, etc.
The regiment was given noon mess at Brest
and then we walked several miles beyond
Brest to the immense embarkation camp, Pon-
tanezen. It was uphill all the way and our
packs contained everything we possessed. The
night spent on the train was not conducive to
a hike of this nature.
— 125 —
We carried out our record of drawing the
rear end of the camp again. Tents were our
lot. The camp was one vast mine of mud. It
rained almost continually. The second day
we were issued bunks. The tent leaked and
firewood was scarce. The stoves v^rere non-
efficient. The damp sea winds kept the can-
vas in an endless vibration of "flops."
The red tape continued to unwind in the
flow of useless, senseless inspections of equip-
ment, etc.
The camp was governed by Marine guards
and the general routine of work was the most
efficient that we encountered. The mess was
beyond improvement. Our whole regiment
was fed in the course of a half hour. Every-
thing was snap and vigor. Military rules of
dress and courtesy were very strict.
Details were sent out nearly every day to
do w^ork in the camp and at Brest. Everyone
was given an opportunity to see Brest in some
manner. Forty thousand permanent troops
were stationed at Brest and transient men kept
the total over the hundred thousand mark. A
camp paper, the "Duck-Board," 'was issued
semi-weekly in this camp.
During our stay we were given a cootie bath
in an immense delousing plant. The next day
it burned to the ground.
Fatigue details were working night and day
at Brest and Pontanezen. Battery routine con-
tinued with the usual regularity; the date of
our sailing was still a mystery; w^ild rumors
were floating about the camp, the latest seemed
to be that we would sail on freighters of an
uncertain variety; the 328th were bragging of
their departure on the "Leviathan," which was
to take place in a few^ days. The "Aquatania,"
the "Mauritania" and the "Leviathan" were
in dock, with numerous smaller boats. We
finally reached the decision that we would be
lucky if we got an average boat. Someone
sprung a new one on us and said that "CD"
stood for "Continual Disappointments." On
the whole we were not in the best of spirits
even though we were at the embarkation camp.
Sunday, March 23rd, arrived and a large per-
centage of us were granted passes to Brest.
This was not a good sign for sudden departure.
When the men on pass returned Sunday even-
ing they found their extra blankets and bed
sacks turned in and an order out that reveille
would sound at 3:00 o'clock in the morning.
We arose shortly after 3:00 a. m., Monday,
and made our packs, cleaned up our tents and
put our section of the camp in good condition.
Messed at 5 :00 and were outside with packs
at 6:1 5. We marched to Brest and stopped at
the docks long enough for the Red Cross to
pass out a pair of socks filled with delicacies to
each man. We then boarded the "Knicker-
bocker" and were ferried to THE "LEVI-
ATHAN," which we boarded to the tunes of
the Navy band. It was just noon.
We were assigned bunks, sixteen men to
each bunk; two east and west and four north.
The bunks were made with pipe framework
and canvas stretchers. At 4:00 o'clock we
were given our supper and a real supper it
was: mashed potatoes and gravy, weenies,
macaroni, pickled beets and cabbage, coffee
with sugar, bread and butter and cake. Every-
thing seasoned well. Washing facilities were
better than we had ever had on land; large
vats of scalding water. The food continued
good, the next day we were served w^ith meat
and we knew it was not horse meat. We did
not expect the best of food on the w^ater and
would have been satisfied with less than we
had. The contrast with the "Maunganui" was
so great that it was almost unbelievable. The
smell of the boat was clean and not sickening
like our other experience. Being the largest
boat in the world it was naturally quite a nov-
elty for us to explore. Two motion picture
shows of a capacity of more than 1,000 per-
sons was no trifling affair. The second day
on board wounded and sick men were brought
aboard.
Our regiment was placed in charge of the
policing and the guard duty on the boat. The
time passed pleasantly because no one was
sick and we had plenty of amusements and
plenty to eat.
We arrived at New York on April 2nd and
were met by Governor Sleeper, of Michigan,
and the Mayor of New York and his party on
a yacht. They escorted us to Hoboken. We
were ferried to Long Island and entrained for
Camp Mills.
We remained in Camp Mills two weeks.
The camp was so changed that it was hardly
recognizable. The tents had given way to
good barracks. The contrast with our former
stay was so great that w^e were hilarious.
Passes were granted to New York, Brooklyn
and other nearby points for the asking. The
battery fund was spent for luxuries. The iron
rule relaxed and the officers became a little
more congenial.
We left Camp Mills on April 1 7th in the
afternoon and reached Custer at 1 I :00 p. m.
on the 1 8th. The most tedious time of our
army career was spent between that time and
April 23rd ■when we were "set free." Oh-h-h,
what a HAPPY bunch we were. The parting
of comrades made the end a trifle less boister-
ous, but the heaviest load ever lifted from men
on earth was lifted from us w^hen we passed
out of the entrance of dear old Camp Custer.
We love it and we like the army. We had a
wonderful and a broadening experience but
Americans have no inherent love of things mil-
itary and Peace welcomed us with open arms.
We ran to greet Her!
CORP. ELMER J. HANNA,
Battery Editor.
126 —
ATTEDY £
During the month of September, 1917,
when the seemingly victorious Huns were mak-
ing their attacks on churches, hospitals and
relief ships, a contingent of two hundred men
was assembled in Detroit, Michigan, and given
one of the greatest send-offs ever tendered a
g^oup of men. "And why all this cheering and
celebrating?" one asked. Detroit was send-
ing her first selection of manly youths to the
colors to join in the fight for Democracy and
Humanity. From these two hundred men that
climbed the old hill at Custer through mud and
with perspiration streaming from their brows,
sixteen were sifted out and assigned to Bat-
tery E, 329th Field Artillery.
Upon their arrival at their new home they
found Captain James F. Burns in command,
with Lieutenants Harry G. Sparks, Alexander
B. Lange, Harney B. Stover, Charles F. Saw-
yer and O. Z. Ide as his assistants. The first
night was comfortably spent in army cots filled
with nicely arranged straw ticks which were
welcomed after a strenuous day spent in De-
troit and on the way to Custer. But when the
bugler sounded reveille in the morning we
learned the reason a bugler has so few friends
in the army. The next two weeks were spent
learning the fundamentals of artillery and pre-
paring the home for the recruits that were yet
to follow.
On September 20th, fifty-two additional re-
cruits were ushered into the battery to join the
regulars, as they chose to be termed, and two
days later these were supplemented by an in-
crease of fifty-three more. As the battery was
now assuming a reasonable size, selections were
made and organization was effected. Out of
the shuffle came our old "Top Cutter" as the
First Sergeant is dubbed, Clyde Richard Par-
ker. Our battery was another League of Na-
tions, being made up of many men of foreign
parentage, but we had a common purpose and
a common understanding was soon reached.
Lectures on military courtesies and conduct in
general were delivered by Captain Burns, all
of which was strange to us. It took but a few
days to become "regulars" which entitled us
to make the most fun of the rookie's embarrass-
ment and many funny things happened. We
were found saluting the First Sergeant, or ad-
dressing the Corporal as "Sir." Before we be-
came acquainted with each other it was sur-
prising how many rich men's sons had come
from Detroit. But time wore down the first
impressions and we began to know each other
and to realize how much we had in common.
Just when general training was established as
the routine of the day, Captain Burns was taken
from our ranks and assigned to the Rainbow^
Division and Captain Carlton L. Wheeler was
substituted. As the training progressed from
stage to stage and we grew to know our work
and to know our officers, we found that we
had a worthy friend in Captain Wheeler, and
our experience under his command from those
early days, through the entire race to the end,
has justified our regard for him. With him
also came Lieutenants John B. Gay, Thomas
Casey and Max L. Gorton, while Lieutenants
Sawyer and Ide departed for Camp Green,
S. C. All through the months of October, No-
vember and December the battery received,
transferred and discharged men from time to
time. Our heaviest transfer occurred on the
29th of October when thirty-six of our men
were transferred to the 32nd National Guard
Division, Waco, Texas, which Division, as it
afterward proved, was one of the first to see
active service. November 2 1 st gave the non-
coms an opportunity to display their authority,
which they surely did, when an additional
eighty-three men put the Battery E button in
their collars. Out of this group our popular
beauty-shop bugler, Anthony Schultz, made
his appearance. With the assistance of his
looking glass Anthony made his way to pres-
tige as the pride of the battery. This mirror
they said was always with him. But we had
not even now become set in our organization
and once more a wholesale transfer took
twenty-five of our pals for the 32nd National
Guard to join those who had left us a month
before. With these men went out never-to-be-
forgotten Peter Parcienski, who kept the bat-
— 127
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Battery "E" Picture — Taken at Camp Mills
tery in excitement with his "Me Seek" slogan
and Club Cigar smile. All the while the old
sandy field along Harmonia Road was the
scene of Squads East and West, Right Face,
Double Time and a thousand Greek commands
to us rookies. Lieut. Casey insisted on saying
"laft" instead of "left," until one day one of
the rawest of recruits reminded him of the cor-
rect pronunciation. No matter how hard the
sun shone, or how hard the rain poured, we
were there to drill all day and by the appe-
tites we displayed one would think we drilled
at night too.
On the morning of December 12th Lieu-
tenants E. Bishop, John T. Rawlings, Morris
Scott, Peter Adams, Bert N. Sorensen, New-
ton L. Yarnell and Harry C. Schloot were
transferred from a southern camp and attached
to the battery for duty. With this fine array
of officers, which now numbered fourteen, one
could not go outside without breaking his arm
by saluting.
On December 1 4th a detail was sent out
under sealed orders and when they returned
they brought with them eighty-six ponies as a
gift to the battery, with instructions from the
donor that they should be well taken care of.
From that day our troubles started. Some of
the men contended they joined the army to
fight and not to learn the livery business, but
no matter how good a civilian taxpayer you
were before entering the service, you were
there to "stand to heel." Many a time we
wished we were in No-Man' s-Land, far aw^ay
from these four footed, high strung, kicking
beasts. At the command of stand to heel one
would have to stand at attention one yard in
the rear of the horse. if said horse made a
— 128 —
pass at you and you knew this pass was going
to take effect, attention was your position. At
the command of "commence grooming!" an
echo could be heard floating throughout the
stables, "Whoa, Mabel," "Nice boy," "Get
over you ? ? ? ?" and many other familiar army
phrases. We all soon conquered the art of
caring for horses so the next step was riding.
First bareback, then with a blanket and then
with the welcome saddle. It only took sev-
eral weeks until the horses were considered
members of the family and had their friends
with all of us.
January 23rd found seventy-eight more
horses added to our stables, from which lot we
derived No. 155, as crazy a horse as was ever
"well groomed" between the forelegs.
The months of January, February, March
and April were busy months for us, keeping
the horses in condition, going to the coal pile,
digging in the gravel pits, shoveling snow,
doing K. P. duty and many other army essen-
tials. Many a cold day did Custer witness, but
the barracks were always warm and homelike.
Then we had the city of Battle Creek just two
miles south of us in which to spend our even-
We regret that Capl. Carlton Wheeler's pic-
ture was never receiyed.
ings and pass off our troubles. When the old
85th left Custer, Battle Creek sent her best
wishes with us and many a sad parting took
place.
On May 1 0th, Lieutenants Rawlings,
Schloot, Yarnell, Adams and Sorensen were
transferred to Camp Jackson, thus confirming
the rumors that we were about ready to sail
for France. June 29th the battery received
eighty recruits on a hurry-up order. They
were fitted up quickly and put into condition
for the trip across. July 1 2 th saw the horses
turned back to the remount station and the
issuing of all necessary overseas equipment,
which facts kept the battery in excitement until
the final day came for our departure from Cus-
ter, July 16th.
The second battalion was assembled at 1 :00
p. m. and marched down the never-forgotten
Custer road to the train at the far end of the
camp, from where we bade farewell to the
best camp we have ever occupied. The train
took us through Detroit, Windsor, etc., and
finally landed us in Hoboken, N. J., from
where we took a boat to Long Island, N. Y.
After spending several anxious hours in Long
island we boarded a train, an 1820 model,
express, and arrived in Garden City late that
evening. From here we marched to Camp
Mills with full packs. This march is one of
many which never will be forgotten, as the
streets were oily and muddy. To add to our
discomfort our slickers were worn, thus allow-
ing no free walking motion with our packs.
We arrived at Mills about midnight and were
immediately assigned to quarters. Some fifty
fellows slept in a two by four cook shanty,
which at that time felt mighty good. The next
day the battery was assigned its portion of
tents and the necessary overseas requirements
were started, including physical inspections,
clothing settlements and drills. During the
afternoons passes were issued and the entire
battery took advantage and visited New York
City, the famous Coney Island and other
places of amusement. The bath houses were
also a very essential necessity in Camp Mills,
as black dirt storms visited us every day.
When the time arrived for our departure we
were happy, as living in tents filled with black
dirt, with the hot sun beating down upon them,
did not quite strike our fancy.
On July 3 1 St we marched to the train and
departed for Long Island once again. At
Long Island a ferry boat welcomed us and
finally landed us beside the good old ship
"Maunganui" in Hoboken. The remainder of
the day and night was spent in looking over
our submarine fighter, which was pronounced
safe to make the trip.
August 1st, 9:00 a. m., the "Maunganui"
cleared the dock and headed for the deep blue
sea, midst laughter, singing and cheers. The
first two days out were days of agony for most
of us, in fact the sea sickness started several
hours after we had left port. All was quiet
during these days, one being only too glad to
be in his hammock and sleep if sleep were pos-
sible. About the third day out things changed
for the better and once again the men were
singing and going about the boat in a merry
mood. Our escort, composed of some sixteen
vessels, was a picturesque sight on the water
and the group of ships could defy any number
of submarines. Sunday morning, August 1 1th,
the tune of "Star Spangled Banner" came
floating out to us from the Liverpool docks. It
First Iiieut. Richard E. Bishop
— 129
was played by a British band while our boat
docked and we again set foot on land. The
battery marched through the streets of Liver-
pool to the station, where we vs^ere fed by the
Red Cross before our trip across England.
All the day was spent crossing England and
this country afforded us beautiful scenery,
until late in the evening, when we arrived at
Southampton, where we put up for the night
at a rest camp several miles from the town.
We were advised this camp was so situated in
order that the soldiers could wash up and get
a good rest before departing for France, but
the next day at noon found us hiking for the
docks, where we again embarked, this time for
France, on the Harvard. The night was spent
crossing the channel. We landed at Le Havre
early the next morning, from where we took a
train to "Somewhere in France." It was at
Le Havre we first got a real look at the actual
results of the war, a large base hospital. The
remainder of the day and part of the next were
spent in 2x4 box cars traveling through
First I^ieut. Harry G. Sparks
France. The trip was enjoyed as far as the
scenery was concerned. It was in these cars
that the occupants were compelled to sleep in
reliefs. The 1 8th found us happy and con-
tented in billets in Messac, which place will
never be forgotten for its hospitality. It was
here we could run down to the river and enjoy
daily baths and weekly clothing wash-ups. All
the boys took advantage of these conveniences
and within several days we were all enjoying
a more homelike appearance once again. Here
the cider and vin rouge were purchased freely
and many a fellow will recall with regret the
flowing drink. Mixed with our long evening
pleasures, the days were spent drilling, attend-
ing helpful lectures and going to schools.
August 25 th we packed our belongings and
hiked for Camp Coetquidan, arriving there the
following day. This surely was a long, tire-
some hike, considering the fact we marched
with packs on our backs. On this march the
fellows began having fun with the inhabitants
owing to their improvements in the French
language. It was about noon when we entered
the much noted American Training Camp
called Coetquidan. The first faces to greet us
were Lieutenants Sparks and Gorton, Privates
Findley and Philo, who had gone as an ad-
vanced party and it is needless to mention that
these faces surely made us feel at home. Sev-
eral days were spent cleaning the barracks and
surroundings and putting our new home into a
livable condition, after which time we started
on our final training for the front.
September 6th the battery lost Lieutenant
Gorton to Headquarters Company and gained
Lieutenant Roy W. Wilson. September 1 7th
we received our allotment of horses, which
were turned over to Lieutenant Wilson for
care, and to look at them one would think they
needed feed worse. It only took a week or so
until they were Americanized and pronounced
fit for front line duty, which duty they later
performed satisfactorily. October 1 st the bat-
tery received its first chance to fire the French
75s. It did not take the men long to learn the
knack of handling them.
Fourteen men were transferred to us on
October 16 from the 310th Ammunition
Train, which organization had disbanded. On
the 1 8th we lost our best Irish friend to the
hospital, Stable Sergeant Burl J. Kelly, a real
battery jewel. With Kelly went the entire bat-
tery's w^ishes for a speedy recovery, which
later did come.
At this time the battery w^as taking their
regular road marches, necessary drilling and
practice firing, when weather permitted. We
saw nothing but rain and damp days, which
caused many "flu" cases and sent many to the
hospital. Of the fellows sent to the hospital,
all recovered with the exception of Privates
Varner M. Cravens and Frank Neuhauser, who
succumbed from pneumonia.
The battery received its orders to move for
the front on October 23 and about noon we
moved out on our way to Guer. From there
we loaded on our train and departed for an
unknown place. Traveling this time was some-
what better, as only ten men occupied the 2x4
box cars. It is to be noted that the train was
an up to date one owing to the telephone con-
nections thereon, which were installed by the
telephone gang before pulling out. October
25 th we detrained at Humberville and
marched about two miles to our barracks in a
valley. Here we made ourselves at home for
the next week by cleaning up in general and
getting ready for the next move, which came
on October 30th. We left Humberville about
noon and detrained at Rimaucourt the follow-
ing day, from where we marched to Toul and
billeted for the night, a very cold one. After
the horses were cared for and hot coffee
served, the men were told to get their blankets
and get under cover. Most of the men had
blankets and were under cover in a few min-
utes, but some were without cover. Here we
saw the American cemetery just outside of
— 130 —
Toul, which brought us to our senses once
again.
From Toul we marched to Lagney, arriving
there about 6:00 p. m., October 31st. Here
we found good billets and the evening was
spent in sound sleeping, a pleasure to get at
this time. The next day, November 1st, we
marched to the Woods of Bois Fliery, where we
put up for the night and early in the morning
pulled into the woods proper and laid under
cover, as we were near the front and could
hear the big guns singing their direful tunes.
About 4:00 p. m. the battery was divided
Iilent. Morris Scott
into two parts; the Firing Battery, including the
gun crews and part of the B. C. section, and
the other, the remainder of the battery, known
as the echelon or relief. When all were as-
signed their proper duties the battery moved
on its way to the front. About 10:00 p. m.
the part of the battery designated for the
echelon left us in the woods west of Nonsard
to take up their duties and the remainder kept
on traveling towards their position. About
midnight we arrived at Beney, an old shot-up
village which was once in the hands of the
Germans, where we took up our position and
immediately started to get our guns under
cover and everything ready for the following
day. It surely was a busy night for us, as
nothing could be left undone. When day
broke everything was in order and we were all
told to keep under cover and rest. Some could
sleep and some couldn't, owing to the guns
sending their compliments over to Fritz. The
next few days were spent adjusting our fire
and listening to Sam and Fritz with their bat-
tles. On the 5 th the battery moved from its
position at Beney to the woods southwest of
Benoit on the banks of a beautiful lake in the
woods. On our march to this place we were
fired upon for the first time. If Fritz had
loaded his guns with good shells instead of
duds the writer might have had a different or
no story at all to write, as 60 per cent of the
shells sent over to us were "M. P. finish."
The following day we received orders to move
back into our former position at Beney, which
move was made in the evening under fire and
above plenty of mud. Once more we made
our position at Beney a comfortable living
place and the following day began sending our
calling cards over to Fritz by the hundreds.
On the late afternoon of the 9th Fritz located
us and immediately started shelling us. Again
late in the evening Fritz gave us some more,
but this time his aiming was short and again we
emerged all O. K. Of course while the Ger-
mans were sending us shells we sent back ours,
which, from the observers' standpoint took ef-
fect. The morning of the 1 1 th found the
whole front booming until 10:39 a. m., when
the order came to cease firing. The remainder
of the day and the following day were spent
visiting the front line on both sides.
November 1 3th found the battery, together
with the remainder of the regiment, moving
out of position and on their way to Pont-A-
Mousson, at which place w^e arrived the same
day. Here we were billeted in large comfort-
able buildings, heated with fireplaces and pos-
sessing all the home comforts. As this was to
be our home indefinitely we all worked to
make it the best ever and in less than a week's
time all the rooms, which contained eight or
ten men, were like civilian homes. Here we
Xdent. Boy W. Wilson
performed necessary drilling, including gun
drill, foot drill and other essentials of Army
life.
February 1st, 1919, during the shuffle of
our daily duties our worthy Captain, Carlton
L. Wheeler, was transferred to the 1st Divi-
sion. As Captain Wheeler raised, trained and
led the battery all through its career, all the
men mourned the loss of him, but with him
131 —
went the best wishes of all. Lieutenant Bishop
was then put in command, which move was
welcomed by every member of the outfit.
Another hard blow struck us February 23rd,
when Lieutenant Scott was transferred to the
328th F. A. Scott surely was every man's
friend and all the boys would risk their lives
for Jim, but this did not keep him with us, so
all we could do was send our wishes with him.
Lieutenant William B. Waterman of Head-
quarters Company was transferred to E Bat-
tery to fill the vacancy left by Lieutenant Scott.
February 1 I th we all packed our belongings
and hiked to Douillard, about two miles from
"E" Battery Position at the Front
Pont-A-Mousson, and entrained for the coast,
which trip was anticipated for months. Here
we were welcomed by our never-forgotten
French 2x4 box cars, 28 men to the car. After
hay and stoves were put in each car, also the
28 men and provisions, we started across
France once again. The trip was cold and
slow. We traveled about twenty-five miles a
day. Nights were spent sleeping in reliefs,
one-half sleeping and the other half fighting
the war around the grand stove. The scenery
was beautiful, as we passed through the more
beautiful part of France. Near Tours we re-
ceived a caller in the person of Sergeant Wini-
fred Thibeadeu, a former member of the old
battery. Thibeadeu is now doing detective
work throughout France and was transferred
from the battery in the early days at Custer.
It surely was a surprise, as he was reported
officially killed in action.
February 1 3th we detrained at Montau-
bleau. A three-mile hike found us in Valennes,
where we made our home before starting on
our trip to the boat. Valennes is a small vil-
lage near St. Calais with a population of about
800 good old French people. As we entered
the town all the school children and people of
the village assembled in the square and greeted
us as friends, this being their first glimpse of
American soldiers. We took one look at the
village and it was so clean and up-to-date that
we all immediately got busy and cleaned up
from head to foot in order to keep in harmony
with the village. Afterwards we were assigned
our billets and homelike beds, all grouped
around the square, where everything takes
place. Here the little French refugees would
gather after school and play with the men,
which brought back old U. S. memories. It
was here we got a real taste of home life. The
people surely took us in and would prepare us
chicken, French fried, steaks and all the things
that tasted like home for a reasonable price.
Most everyone took advantage of this oppor-
tunity and within a week the supply sergeant
was besieged with requests for larger trousers.
One could also enjoy billiards and pool, there
being three tables in the town.
February 2 7th, Lieutenant Max L. Gorton
again joined the battery from Headquarters
Company, which transfer was received with
joy by all of us, as one could not find a better
friend than he. In the midst of our happiness.
Lieutenant Wilson departed for the 329th Ma-
chine Gun Battalion. During his stay w^ith us
he made many good, true friends.
Just as we were about to depart from
Valennes, our old friend Corporal George C.
Channing rejoined us in the form of a 3rd
Lieutenant. George finished his course at
Saumur with flying colors, and as the war was
over when he finished his course, he was only
too glad to get back. George is a fellow that
comes up smiling no matter how dark and
dreary the day may be, and he surely was wel-
comed back with the broad smile, also his de-
cootied outfit, which was filled with a million
creases. Now we can appreciate what George
told us regarding the "Mills." Many a good
laugh and conversation was afforded by
George. Corporal Carl L. Hesse, a 3rd Lieu-
tenant, also rejoined us about this time —
a good happening for the battery, as no better
friend could be had than Carl. By reports he
surely must have traveled over France several
Battery "E's" Oijaeiviitiou Post
— 132
times before finding us. No wonder, he trav-
eled on trains and we on foot.
March 2nd we bade the good people of
Valennes farewell and again hiked for "Some-
where"' nearer the coast. After one of the
hardest marches ever pulled off by the 329th
Battery "E'a" Cooks
we pulled into La Briel for the night. After
all had their supper and a salt water foot bath,
our beds welcomed us for a good night's rest
on hard wooden floors. Early the next morn-
ing packs were once more thrown on trucks
and we were marching over the muddy roads
of France. It was noon when we pulled into
Camp D'Auvours, at which place we were all
assigned barracks. This is a Belgian camp lo-
cated about ten kilos from La Mans. We were
de-cootied and given baths the following day,
also several inspections. Here is where the
regiment ate at one time, w^hich mess was wel-
comed by all after corn willie, etc., were our
guests on the marches.
Sunday, as usual, March 9th, we departed
from Camp D'Auvours for a short march to
the train. To our surprise at the end of the
march we were introduced to good old Ameri-
can box cars which took us to Brest. At the
sight of the American train you could hear
nothing but cheers and see nothing but smiles.
Fifty-three men were assigned to a car, which
crowded us a little, but with fifty-three in
these cars, one had more room than forty in
the French cars, also good comfortable riding.
The following day we detrained at Brest and
needless to say how real the ocean looked to
us fellows. After a good meal we were
marched to Camp Pontanezen, where we were
given tents with real floors and stoves in them.
Here we received our final examinations for
the trip home. All will remember the details
that were handed out. Instead of asking for
twenty or thirty men they took practically the
entire battery for fatigue, nights and days. No
matter how hard you worked, you always
could fill up on good eats, as all the kitchens
had the "Bou Coup" seconds sign printed on
them, and it did not take us long to get wise.
Passes were issued in this camp and all could
take a trip down to Brest and see the sights
and pretty French girls in all their glory. Ser-
geant Burl J. Kelly and Thomas D. Russell re-
joined the battery during our stay here. March
24th we were on our way once again, down
the final stretch for home. About noon found
us on the great old ship Leviathan, formerly
the German ship "Vaterland." As we did not
leave port for several days we were allowed to
explore the ship as much as we could without
getting lost. We never dreamed they could
build such a floating palace. Two days later
the ship was filled to capacity, 15,000, and
headed out to sea midst the cheers of her pas-
sengers.
The trip over was a calm, interesting trip
for all of us. One could enjoy himself no
matter where he went as the weather was
clear and warm and the sea quiet. The feed
was above reproach and some of the fellows
who never got enough to eat surely had their
chance to fill up. Pie, apples and all sorts of
fancies were in order. April 2nd we were
greeted in New York harbor by the "Mayor's
welcome committee ship" and at I 1 :00 a. m.
we were docked and once more cherished the
privilege of stepping on American soil. Ah I
it was a great moment for all of us. All our
American thoughts just flashed and bubbled
Battery "£'■" Billets at Font-a-Monsson
out of us. The Salvation Army, Red Cross
and other societies met us and distributed pie,
cake, etc., which sure tasted fine. After a
brief stay at the dock we loaded on a ferry
and started down the river to the railroad
station where we debarked and entrained for
Camp Mills. To our surprise we found Mills
all built up with green-colored barracks in-
133 —
stead of the former dusty tents. On the whole
the camp changed 1 00 per cent and is now
a camp which can be boasted of by the Gov-
ernment. The same evening we were run
through the de-cootie plant once again, but
this time to our surprise we came out all
steamed up, making work for the tailors. Most
of us turned in our steamed clothing for new
things. Passes were again issued to the big
city. New York, and we all took advantage
of seeing the place once again.
April 1 7th dawned and we marched to the
train which took us to Camp Custer, the best
camp on earth. Upon arriving at the tracks
we were welcomed by honest-to-tre Pullman
cars which were to take us to Custer. The trip
was fine. We were cheered all along the way
by our friends, the Canadians, and upon arriv-
ing in the Detroit station, many a sweet meet-
ing took place. After refreshments were
served we were again on our way to Custer,
arriving there about midnight the 1 8th. Bar-
racks were assigned and all made themselves
at home once again. After that, the little
white paper — and freedom.
SGT. RAY W. FOX,
Battery Editor.
Almost WitKotit Smokes
The first, last and only time we came peril-
ously near the edge on tobacco was early in
the game. We had moved rapidly with few
stops and those of only one night's duration
since we left Camp Mills. By the time we
reached Messac the old tobacco pouch looked
mighty thin, and with no chance in that for-
saken place to replenish,
A week and it was all gone. Two days
without and the chaplain came to the rescue.
He drove sixty kilometers with his motorcycle
on the hottest day we saw in France, and came
back with smokes in abundance.
This volume would not hold an account of
the praise he got.
* * *
THe DovtgKboys and tHe
Rest of Us
Back in the United States millions upon mil-
lions of men were working twenty-four hours
out of the day. The machinery of thousands
upon thousands of factories hummed in never-
ceasing unison. Millions upon millions of dol-
lars were loaned by the people and spent by
the government. Thousands upon thousands
of ships with men and provisions crossed the
sea.
In Europe hundreds of trains moved daily
from seaports to the front. Thousands upon
thousands of motor trucks plowed their way
through muck and mire with food and ammu-
nition. Hundreds of thousands of men and
cannon worked day and night back of the
trenches. Millions of dollars' worth of shells
were daily thrown toward Germany. And all
for what? We found out on the day of the
armistice. Rushing up to the front lines we
found a thin line of tired, hungry, smiling
doughboys. These were the fellows we were
all backing up.
When asked what the national air of the
United States was, a little French girl promptly
answered; "Hail, Hail, the Gang's All Here."
Beuey
- 134-
Although the 5th of September was the
date on which the initial five per cent of se-
lected men were sent to training camps. Bat-
tery F did not receive her quota until the
following day when the 1 2th District of De-
troit sent to Camp Custer the following men:
F. Ramsey, 1. Balmas, V. Temerowsky, C.
Skuterki, Lynn RennyTc, F. Ward, A. E. Car-
ney, J. L. McGrath, F. G. Beardsley, and C.
F. Runaberg. The next day six men arrived
from the 1 3th Detroit Board, Roy J. Alaric,
Andrew Rugila, J. Stoinawasky, Robert L.
Fleming, Henry Sigg, and L. T. Rademaker.
These men filled the required schedule of
sixteen men to each battery.
The entire regiment was quartered in build-
ing 399. Major Lothrop, then a Captain, was
in command, and Lieut. Carnahan was acting
First Sergeant.
A schedule had been arranged and given to
each draft board district in Detroit, showing
the dates and number of men that each district
should send to camp. This schedule became
effective on the 5 th of September, the date
that the National Army was really started. The
Light Guard Armory was designated as the
central assembling place for all the drafted
men of Detroit that were entering the service
on the three days of September 5, 6 and 7.
After the draft board official of each district
had checked up his men and finished tagging
them, like a herd of cattle, he gave each man
a railroad ticket. The men were then marched
in a body to Al Smith's restaurant on Cadillac
Square to partake of their last meal in civilian
life for many a day. At the restaurant, every-
thing w^as free and each man had his choice
of anything from soup to nuts. The inner man
was satisfied after a short time and the men
were again taken back to the Armory until
1 2 o'clock. A few minutes later the men were
lined up in a column of twos and, led by a
band, marched out of the Armory and started
on the trip to camp by parading up Jefferson
Avenue, to Woodward, then north on Wood-
ward to Elizabeth Street. At this point street
cars awaited to take the men to the Michigan
Central station. Amid much cheering and ap-
plause the selects alighted from the cars and
ATTEDY p
walked to a train waiting on the side track.
At 12:15 the engineer sounded a warning and
just a minute later we were in motion.
While en route to Camp Custer a draft official
on board the train distributed a box lunch,
cigarettes, smoking tobacco and a Missouri
meerschaum to every selected man on the
train. A stop was made at Jackson for the
purpose of picking up a small number of
drafted men from that city and outlying vicin-
ity. The trip via train ■was finally ended at
a dirt road leading into the camp about half
a mile away. The order, "Everybody out,"
was given and upon alighting the men were
met by a group of soldiers and officers, who
escorted them along the dirt road over the hill
and into the receiving station, commonly called
the "bull pen."
The receiving station w^as divided into stalls,
each draft board having a stall. As the men
approached this station, they merely separated
so that all men from each district would be to-
gether. The next move was to take the men
to the stall corresponding to the number of
their draft board. A short while after the
men were herded into the pens an officer ar-
rived and commenced to read a list of occu-
pations off a paper. If someone raised a hand
on hearing his occupation mentioned, the of-
ficer would question the man in regard to his
experience. If the officer was satisfied with
the answers the man's name would be taken.
After completing this list and making a few
more inquiries, those men who qualified were
told to follow the officer. He was securing
men for the Engineers.
Soon another officer entered the pen. This
time it was an Artillery officer. It happened
to be Lieutenant Curtiss of Battery B, 329th
Field Artillery.
He questioned the remaining men in quite
the same manner as the first officer but ■with
a different list of occupations. In this way he
secured enough men satisfactory for the Artil-
lery. While he was leading the chosen men
away from the pen to an assignment desk, he
was asked whether he knew what branch of
the service these men were about to enter.
He answered, "Battery F, and your Captain
— 133 —
is a prince of a man named Cabeen." The
men waited a few minutes for their assignment
slips and were then escorted by the Lieutenant
to Building 399, about fifteen minutes' walk
from receiving station.
On arriving there the men were told to wait
till their name was called and as each name
was called that man released his assignment
paper and in return was issued a bed sack,
towel, soap, blankets. The men were then
conducted to the upper squad rooms and as-
signed to bunks. Very soon after getting the
bed ticks filled with straw the supper call blew
and everyone rushed "double quick " down-
Capt. Wayland Cabeen
stairs and lined up in double rank. The acting
Top Sergeant gave orders to file into the mess
hall and when everyone reached his place at
table, commanded "Seats." Then the fight
for something to eat began. The men at the
extreme ends of the tables were usually lucky,
or most of the food was placed there by the
waiters before the men entered the mess hall.
The men in the center were as a rule S. O. L.,
until those on the ends had their fill. As sup-
per was the last formation of the day, the time
from then on until "Taps" belonged to the men
to do with as they pleased. Some stayed in
the barracks writing letters by candlelight,
others wandered outdoors, locating friends,
getting acquainted with the surroundings, and
quite a number hunted up the Y. M. C. A. to
write letters home, play checkers, read maga-
zines or listen to the phonograph.
Walking around in the dark was no pleasure
at that time. There were: no electric lights to
g^de one's footsteps and one had to be ex-
tremely careful for fear of stepping into
ditches, tripping over boards and numerous
other obstacles. Finding the right barracks in
the inky darkness w^as a difficult task, too, for
all the buildings looked alike the first night.
And to make sure that the right barrack was
reached, one had to inquire the number from
some one inside the building.
As bedtime approached the men gradually
returned to their bunks and hit the hay for
some badly needed rest. When the bugle
sounded reveille in the morning a good many
of the boys complained of not having suf-
ficient sleep. Now that they were in the army
they could not turn over and have a few more
winks as they were wont to do in civilian life,
but had to jump up and dress quickly in order
to be in line outdoors when "Fall in" was
given. The half hour between reveille and
breakfast was devoted to making up of bunks,
sweeping and washing. At first water was very
scarce, as only part of the building had water
pipes on the outside and if one intended to
wash up before mess he had to get there before
the rush.
At 8:00 a. m. the whistle sounded for the
first drill and it was at this formation that the
men had their first opportunity to see their
officers w^ho would train and afterwards lead
them into battle in France. "F" Battery was
under the command of Captain Wayland H.
Cabeen, who was assisted by Lieutenants Kauf-
man, Brennan, Head, Coryell and Gorton.
Sergeant Andrews held the position of Top
Return of tHe Soldier
The last flash * * * j,„j ^he hideous strife
Dies like the wisp of storm-discovered flame;
And so these battered heroes will come back
The same, yet not the same.
Thev who have landed wards in No Man's Land
Will never be the old and abject crowd.
They will not grovel and they will not stand
What used to keep them cowed.
They will be dumb no longer, they will speak
In tones they learned beneath a blood-red sun,
A conitant menace to the co^vardly meek
And to all wars to come.
Strengthened to fight what all the world abhors,
Hypocrisy and squalor and disease.
They wrill attain, even through wars on Mrars,
What they bad lost in peace.
— Literary Digest.
Sergeant. With only sixteen men in the bat-
tery and six officers to drill and instruct the
handful of men, they were thoroughly school-
ed, individually and collectively. The drilling
continued for about ten days and then prep-
arations had to be made for the comfort of
the men who arrived September 19th, 20th
and 7, 1 st. Shortly before their arrival F Bat-
tery had been assigned to Building 449 and
drew cots, straw ticks and other supplies in
preparation for their comfort. A large per-
136 —
centage of these recruits were foreigners.
Plenty of tongue-twisting names such as Krz-
yaniak, Pryjma, Skzyp, Cimkiewicz, Zcelinski.
Although many of these men could not speak
or understand English, they afterwards be-
came very good soldiers. The day after they
arrived they were divided into sections of six-
teen men each and the older men were placed
in charge as acting sergeants and corporals.
These acting non-coms had the task of giving
the recruits preliminary training.
On October 1st the commanding officer ap-
pointed the first non-coms of the battery. The
sergeants were as follows: Andrews, First
Sergeant; Rugila, Runchey, Carney, Rade-
macher. Ward, with Sigg as Mess Sergeant and
McGrath as Supply Sergeant. About this time
Lieutenant Gorton w^as transferred from Bat-
tery F to Battery E. Up to October the drill-
ing had been close-order foot drill but now,
as no real material was available, boxes and
boards were used as guns and caissons and
the men received instructions in standing gun
drill. In the early part of November the regi-
ment moved to the Artille-^y section of the
camp. F was assigned to Barracks 1310. al-
though the building was not quite complete.
Electric lights and water systems were installed
less than a week afterward, but the power and
boiler house was not completed for a month,
so small sheet iron stoves were installed for
heating.
In November the division was called upon
to send men to Texas to fill up the 32nd Na-
tional Guard Division and F's share was a half
dozen men. Sergeant Ward was transferred
to the 3 I 0th Trench Mortar Battery. About
the 1 0th of November applications to attend
a Coast Artillery specialists' school at Fortress
Monroe, Ga., were received, and on Novem-
ber I 8th Sergeant Rademacher, Corporals Al-
erie and Statekuh and Private Horgan v*rere
sent to attend this school. When they arrived
at Fortress Monroe they found that the school
had enrolled all that could be taken care of,
therefore these men were sent back to Custer.
Nevertheless they saw a bit of the country,
especially Washington, D. C, and had a week's
vacation from drills.
The third induction of drafted men arrived
in camp the 1 0th and, unlike the recruits of
September 19th and 20th, were all native born
sons, their favorite hangout in Detroit being
in the vicinity of the Western Market, partic-
ularly Sam Costelos' butcher shop. A day or
two before Thanksgiving, the Captain received
an order to transfer thirty-two privates to the
Aviation section of the Signal Corps at Van-
couver, Washington. He selected thirty-two
foreigners and sent them to the spruce indus-
try. The older men were given 42-hour passes
to enable them to spend Thanksgiving Day in
their homes. Those who remained in camp
had as good a Thanksgiving meal and more
fun than those who received passes. The mess
hall was decorated with corn stalks and other
appropriate Thanksgiving trimmings. The
meal was a monstrous affair with plenty of
everything for everyone. Immediately after
the boys started dancing and singing and con-
tinued until tattoo sounded. During the after-
noon particularly, the entire battery gathered
out of doors and marched in lock-step fashion
to the "Y" and onto the stage, much to the sur-
prise of the people and "Y" secretaries. While
on the stage the gang sang a song or two and
left as unexpectedly as they had entered. From
there the gang visited different barracks, wak-
ing everyone they found sleeping. In one bat-
tery one sleeping glutton resented the quick
awakening and for revenge threw a pail of
water on some of the boys as they filed out.
On returning to their own barracks the gang
liieut. Dale W. Kaufman
found a few sleeping and immediately dumped
them out of bed, at the same time remarking
that nights were made for sleeping, not day-
time when the gang is feeling happy. The
principal fun makers on this day were Jack
Hillger, Fat Callahan (our noble cook). Shorty
Logan, Frank Wilde, Harold Hatfield, Sam
Costello and Geo. (Blue Valley) Stopper.
Several pictures were taken during the after-
noon but all turned out failures. The pictures
that Calahan and Hillger had taken came out
fine but not for publication. A light lunch
was served at 8:00 p. m. but only a few par-
took of it. By 9:30 everyone was peacefully
slumbering and a good many at work sawing
wood in their sleep.
Next morning was the same old grind — foot
drill and "cannoneers' post." Real honest to
goodness guns and caissons to the number of
two had been received by the regiment, so
each battery took turns using them.
On December 1 st the 1 60th Artillery Bri-
gade, comprising the 328th, 329th and 330th
Artillery regiments, instituted a School of Fire
and continued it until February 28th. Instruc-
tion in practical artillery work was given in
a course covering one month. The following
non-coms from F attended this brigade school:
— 137 —
138
Sergeants A. Rugila, A. E. Carney, W. P.
Casson, L. J. Rademacher, F. G. Ruhl and
Corporal J. McBride. At the end of February
the school was divided into regimental schools
of fire.
It was a very cold day during the middle of
December that our horses arrived. F was al-
loted eighty of these horses, a great many of
which were practically wild. The wildest ones
were separated and placed in a corner of the
•tables. Even with the wildest horses sepa-
rated, it was still a matter of taking one's life
in one's hands to enter the stalls and untie or
groom the horses. Most of the boys drafted
from Detroit had never worked around horses
before and the job of jumping right in and
>vorking around these animals which struck,
kicked or bit at almost any moment or at the
slightest noise or touch was far from enticing.
The men had all received instructions on how
to enter a stall and as a general rule everyone
followed instructions, but even with the pre-
liminary ^vord or two that v^rere said on enter-
ing, many of the men came out faster than they
went in and in many cases limping around and
rubbing the spot where the horse's hoofs
struck. Of course it may have been that the
horses wished to shake hands and become ac-
quainted but they were too rough. In the
first place the men didn't care to shake their
hands. Their only interest in the horses was
that they might ride them some day and save
a good many footsteps and probably haul the
guns into the firing line. With the coming of
the horses foot drill was almost eliminated and
all spare time was spent caring for them. It
also meant the breaking up of our Wednesday,
Saturday and Sunday holidays. Some of the
men were wise enough to place their requests
for passes on these afternoons with the main
purpose of getting out of the disagreeable job
of caring for the horses and this, of course,
shifted the work on to those who remained in
the barracks. In January the battery was
equipped to full horse strength but the person-
Colored boy, pulling lanyard on a 155-nim.:
"Blouey! Now count yo' army, Kaiser Bill."
nel was diminished to approximately seventy-
five men by frequent transferring of men to
other outfits. This number in itself was far
from being enough to care for 1 64 horses that
must be fed, groomed and watered daily, but
not half of the men were available for this
duty. When the men on guard, kitchen police,
stable police, sick in quarters, special details or
at school were taken into consideration, only
a bare twenty or so were left for duty. This
handful of men worked like slaves trying their
best to do the work required. You w^ill recall
that December, January and February, 1918,
were months of very severe winter weather. It
was too cold to do any drilling but the horses
had to have some exercise to prevent them
from becoming lame from lack of it.
It was at this trying time that Captain Ca-
been was placed on detached service to attend
a course at Fort Sill, and we were without his
guiding and always pleasant and humorous
personality. In addition to the absence of the
Captain, our Top Cutter, Bill Andrews, pride
of the battery, without an equal as a Top Ser-
geant, and a wizard at shooting crap, Sergeant
Runchey and Private Hugh Liddicoat were ad-
mitted to the third Officers' Training School at
Camp Custer.
Ueut. Roland Brennan
The time that took the prize for the number
of men at water call was on a Sunday after-
noon, when the enormous number of exactly
three men started to water 1 64 horses. An
emergency call was sent to the kitchen police
and three K. P.'s came in answer to the call
for help. The rest of the men were on pass
to Detroit or cities near camp.
The care of the horses did not take up all
the time during the day. Mornings were usu-
ally devoted to their care and afternoons until
water call were utilized for standing gun drill
and indoor instructions and lectures on various
artillery subjects. The horses at Camp Custer
will not be the only memories that we can
recall in after life. The severe weather, the
abundance of snow and in particular the bliz-
zard of January 1 1 th, 1 2th and 1 3th will never
be forgotten. The snow storm started on Fri-
day afternoon and during the night developed
into a terrific blizzard. In the morning when
we awoke at reveille we found our beds and
clothing were covered with snow which had
been forced through the cracks around the
windows. The temperature had gone down
to 26 degrees below zero. Three men who
had to go to the stables, bundled up like Eski-
mos, fed and watered the animals and returned
to the barracks as rapidly as possible, where
they were carefully examined for frost bites.
About 10:00 o'clock the main feed pipe to
the boilers froze up and the heating system
— 139 —
was shut down temporarily, leaving us in a
sad predicament. All traffic was stopped and
the boys who had planned on going on pass
were S. O. L. John Schmidt and Ralph Mar-
vin thought if they could get to Battle Creek
they could catch a train to Detroit, so they
started out to hike the seven or eight miles
through blizzard and snow banks. They ar-
rived at Battle Creek all right, tired and frost-
bitten, but no trains were running. A switch
engine happened along with the intention of
clearing the track. Schmidt and Marvin
climbed into the cab and a start was made.
Marshall, Mich., was as far as that engine man-
aged to plow through the snow. A huge bank
of snow as high as the engine proved too great
an obstacle to overcome. The snow was every
bit that deep, according to the reports of the
two men on their return to camp. It may have
been a bit exaggerated but that's not a fault
in the army — it's a habit. When the storm
abated all available men were set to work
If Battery F can travel 35 kilometers on a
bacon sandwich, how far can they travel on a
hog?
shoveling the snow from in front of the bar-
racks, stables, and making paths. Traffic was
not resumed until Wednesday.
On the morning of February 8, 1918, George
Miller, Joe Monahan and three or four others
were detailed to work at the gravel pit for the
entire day. The men were furnished with a
meal which they carried and with a pick or
shovel on their shoulders started for the pit.
When the men at the battery returned from
the stables they were greeted w^ith the news
of an accident at the gravel pit. Miller was
instantly killed when a frozen ledge of sand
projecting over the pit w^here the men were
at work became dislodged and fell w^ithout
w^arning. This ledge of sand, weighing any-
where from ten to twenty tons, struck Miller
squarely on the top of the head, crushing his
skull. How Monahan escaped with only his
right hand and fingers of his left hand crushed
will never be known. Monahan was working
at Miller's side shoveling sand into wagons
which w^ere backed up under the ledge and
it is believed Monahan made a leap for his
life when some person outside yelled to them
that the ledge was falling. The wagons were
smashed to splinters and mules broke away in
their fright. Monahan was rushed to the hos-
pital immediately but Miller's body could not
be extricated until the ledge of sand had been
lifted.
Eight of Miller's most intimate friends were
allowed to go to Detroit to serve as pallbearers
at his funeral and other soldiers from Fort
Wayne were sent to the cemetery to blow taps
and fire a volley over the departed soldier's
grave.
Events from early February to mid-summer
were dull and uninteresting. New recruits came
in at various times until the battery reached
its proper strength about July 1 st. On July
1 6th we bade farewell to Custer and entrained
for the port of embarkation. Strict orders
were issued against cheering or in any way re-
Remember how Joe Valle and John Koski
looked the first day we went for a ride on the
ponies at Custer?
vealing the fact that our train carried troops
so if we were quiet when we pulled through
Detroit on our way east it was through no fault
of our own.
The afternoon of July I 7th found us in New
York City, w^here we took a ferry boat over
to Long Island City and thence by train to
Camp Mills, where we spent two w^eeks getting
equipped for overseas duty. July 30th, amid
a storm of sand and dirt, we left for Hoboken,
took a ferry to the U. S. transport docks,
boarded H. M. S. Maunganui and at 1 1 :00
a. m. weighed anchor and started out for
France along with some fifteen other trans-
ports. The food set before the enlisted men
on this trip across w^as unspeakably poor.
Nearly all of us were sick, not from the effects
of the sea because the weather was ideal, but
because of the food. The bread, butter and
jam saved us from starvation, however, and
eleven days after we left New York we docked
at Liverpool without mishap. Land never
looked better than that morning when the
rocky cliffs of Ireland loomed up on the hori-
zon. From the docks in Liverpool we marched
to the railway station and entrained in coaches.
The trip across England to Southampton was
really comfortable and interesting. At South-
ampton we "put up" at a rest camp for the
The Supply sergeant had a nut to crack when
John Koski joined the battery. The govern-
ment didn't make breeches to fit such big men
and John had to have breeches. Alarie kept
his weather eye open and finally discovered that
Major Haviland ^vas about Koski's size. That's
how John happened to get the major's tailored-
to-order breeches.
"remainder" of the night, then boarded the
U. S. S. Harvard for the trip across the Eng-
lish channel to Le Havre. Twenty-four hours
in Le Havre rest (?) camp was all our consti-
tutions could stand, so on August 1 4th we
entrained in France's famous 8-40 touring cars
destined for points unknown. August 15th,
late in the afternoon, we detrained at a little
French village called Messac and pitched tents
near the banks of a river. The weather was
ideal and the water was great, so we didn't
wait for any invitation "Come on in, the wa-
— MO —
ter's fine," but broke all speed records to get
in the swim. Aloysius Hisgen got in such a
hurry that he forgot he couldn't swim and
hopped right into a deep hole. Pat Goulides
played the hero so Al came out none the worse
for wear. In a couple of days we were bil-
leted in attics, barns or any place at all and
prepared to stay in Messac until it came our
turn to move into training camp. The boys
will probably remember Messac more particu-
larly because of the vin blanc, vin rouge, cog-
nac, rhum and cidre which they could buy.
The berry bushes in the vicinity were loaded
with big ripe berries and a regimental order
failed to restrain the boys from filling their
hats occasionally. By August 25 th we had
recuperated wonderfully so we received orders
to hike through to Camp Cbetquidan, a dis-
tance of 25 kilometers. We did the first half,
stayed over night in a field outside of Maure,
then finished the trip next day.
Battery F reached Camp Coetquidan at ten
o'clock August 26th, 1918. While we were
trudging along toward this camp from Maure
we could hear distant booming of guns which
McBride offers a reward for anyone furnish-
ing information as to who put the hardware and
bricks in his pack that time over in Messac.
was a glad note to our ears, for we knew that
the hike was nearing an end. The territory in
this vicinity has some very steep hills and when
we climbed the last one we caught our first
glimpse of Coetquidan.
The camp lay on the crest of a small plateau
entirely encircled by a deep valley. Rows of
brick, stone and wooden buildings were clus-
tered together on the plateau and along the
road leading into camp were cafes, restaurants
and souvenir shops. Some of the places boast-
ed such signs as "Ham and Eggs," "Ice
Cream," "Biere," etc., and after existing on
"iron rations" for a couple of weeks we were
tempted to stampede! Guess the only thing
that saved the day was the fact that our "pep"
was all gone — we hardly had enough energy
left to drag our tired bodies up the hill into
camp and to our barracks.
Camp Coetquidan is noted in France as be-
ing the "Camp of Death," so called because
hundreds of Napoleon's army died there of a
disease known as "The Black Death." Dozens
of new barracks and buildings were built by
German prisoners during the four years of war
but the barracks assig:ned to us were the ones
built to accommodate Napoleon's troops. "F"
occupied three of these barracks, two of stone
with cement floors, the third a wooden affair
with the company kitchen in the rear. These
barracks looked like real homes, especially
when we were supplied with cots and mat-
tresses. "Gee !" but those cots seemed soft
as "down" after "pounding our ears" on hard.
wooden floors. We were quite willing to rest
the balance of the day and when reveille blew
next morning were ready to resume training.
Our training in the U. S. had dealt mostly
with methods of "open warfare" but at Coet-
quidan we were to learn how to fight in "posi-
tion warfare." During the first few weeks the
most of "F" were doing "squads east," "dis-
mounted, mounted drill," "gas mask ENDUR-
ANCE drill," "standing gun drill" (with planks
to represent guns), and "visual signalling."
Capt. Cabeen
Some of the enlisted men attended telephone,
materiel, gas, orientation, machine gun and
camouflage schools and all of the officers were
kept on the jump, cramming down new ideas
of modern warfare. The instructors who, of
course, were thoroughly conversant with their
subjects, set a pretty fast clip and it behooved
the men and officers to be on the alert every
second if they wanted to measure up to the
required standard. We made a good job of it
for "F" made a reputation for herself on the
firing range.
As soon as we got fairly settled at this camp
Soon after arriving at Coetquidan, Sgts. Ru-
gila and Kauschy decided to take a little ex-
ploring trip in towns adjacent to camp. Evi-
dently they found good cognac for they made
a night of it. Rugila came into quarters next
morning with his hair standing on end and he
told the reason. They had wandered further
from camp than they realized and when daylight
showed them the way, they found it necessary
to go through Plelan, the target area. That
would have been good practice Andy, dodging
G. 1. cans among the shell holes of Plelan.
we were issued our "French 75*s" and the
gunners began their training, using dummy
shells until they became thoroughly familiar
with the mechanism of the gun. The drivers
had their work, too! Through the Supply
Company we obtained the "wrecks" of some
eighty horses. "Skin and bones" would de-
scribe most of them fittingly. These poor
beasts had seen hard service at the front and
had really earned the right to retire from
141 —
active service. Now the drivers were not
trained nurses but they did their work (keep-
ing these animals out of horse heaven) mar-
vel ously well.
September 4th was our first day on the
range. Our guns were pulled into position,
liaison established and targets designated to
various officers who were to direct the fire.
Across the valley and on the slope of the oppo-
site hill lay the ruins of the French village
Treslon, which had served as a target area for
other artillery organizations. From our posi-
tion it was interesting to observe the shrapnel
bursting into white puffs of smoke and shells
throwing black clouds of dirt into the air.
Joe Valle was made official w^ater wagon boy
at Coetquidan and the first day the battery went
on the range, he came out to the position with
the water cart — empty. When the officer asked
him what became of the water he smiled in bliss-
ful ignorance, as much as to say, "No compree."
Hovr was he to know a ivater wagon was for
water?
The proposition confronting an officer who
fires a problem is no easy one. First, he must
locate both his gun position and target accu-
rately on the firing map. This map is so con-
structed that when these positions are plotted
on it, the officer can measure a required angle
and determine the approximate range to the
target. Second, the guns must be "laid" on
the target and this operation is done with the
aid of an instrument known as a goniometer.
The angle obtained from the map is used in
connection with the goniometer and if all work
is done accurately the piece will be laid exactly
in line with the target. Third, wind, tempera-
ture of the air, temperature of the powder,
density of air, kind of shell used, altitude of
gun and target, and the nature of the terrain
on which the target is situated must all be
taken into consideration. With the aid of a
firing table, it is possible to make approximate
"corrections of the moment." The tempera-
ture and barometric pressure of the air and
the direction and velocity of the wind are fur-
nished by a meteorological station. The tem-
perature of the powder, of course, can be ob-
tained easily, the difference in altitudes of guns
and targets can be taken from the map, and
the shell and kind of fuse to be used depend
upon the target and its position.
So, before opening fire, the officer reduces
the possible errors to a minimum.
After each gun has been laid by the goni-
ometer the gunners establish their individual
aiming points and read the angle between the
line gun-aiming point and gun-target. This
angle is known as his basic deflection and the
reason for establishing a basic deflection is to
enable the gunner to re-lay his piece quickly
after each hit and thus correct for any move-
ment of the gun caused by the explosion.
When all preparations for fire have been
completed the officer "sends down" from the
observation post (O. P.) to the executive of-
ficer at the guns such data as the kind of shell
and fuse, the angle of site and range. "Fire
for adjustment" is usually executed with shrap-
nel and the fuse is punched so that it will burst
quite high in the air. As each piece fires the
officer watches through a telescope and
"senses" the shots. If the shrapnel bursts
short of the target the range must be increased;
if over, the range must be decreased. If the
burst is to the right or left the deflection is
changed accordingly. To sense a round of
shots requires a quick, clear eye and cool judg-
ment. TTie position of burst must be noted in-
stantly, especially on a windy day when the
little puffs of smoke have a habit of rolling
away before one can "bat" an eye. A shot is
judged over if the smoke brings the target
into relief; short, if it obscures the target.
There must be a certain number of shots fall
short, over, to the right and the left of the
target before fire for adjustment can be called
complete. Exhaustive tests prove that there
are certain probable errors which must be con-
sidered, and satisfied, and even if one shot
made a direct hit on the target the range and
deflection might not be quite perfect. The
number of rounds of shrapnel used in fire for
adjustment depends largely on the skill of the
officer firing the problem and the accuracy
with which the gun crews work. $ 1 2 to $ 1 7
of Uncle Sam's money goes up in smoke every
time a "75" is fired, so accuracy is economy.
Having completed the adjustment the officer
ends his problem by "Fire for effect." The
object is to destroy the target. If shrapnel is
used the fuse is punched so that the shell bursts
only a few meters above the target. If high
explosive shell is employed then the explosion
occurs when the fuse strikes the ground and
changes the scenery.
From September 4th until October 6th we
The last night we were at Messac the village
mayor gave us a "send off" by setting 'em up
and afterwards doing the buck and wing on the
bench. We couldn't understand the words to
his songs but he was very expressive otherwise.
Anyhow — it wasn't what he said it was the way
he said it.
were dividing our time, spending a good share
of it on the range, the balance in picking up
odds and ends of training. Our machine gun
squad learned how to take their guns apart
and put them together until they could do it
blindfolded. Later they put in some interest-
ing time on the range mowing down imaginary
enemies. Their job in actual service was to
sing the swan's song to any enemy aeroplane
which chanced to come within "uncomfort-
able" distance of "F" battery position.
The Signal section learned how to install and
t42-
operate a telephone system at the front and
practiced wig-wag, semaphore and projector
until they were blue in the face. The Instru-
ment section acquired some knowledge of the
theory and practice of position warfare and
learned how to manipulate the instruments, to
prepare and use maps, to make sketches, to
juggle the range tables and solve problems in
connection with firing data, and so on down
the line, each section learned its own particu-
lar work. Separately and severally we took
our turns on what our "top kick" chose to call
"Emplacement and bomb-proof school," but
what in an ordinary "buck's" language was
"pick and shovel" detail. Guard duty, kitchen
police and other regular army routine came
and went. Probably the most detested drill
was the daily, half-hour gas mask drill after
retreat. At various times we had to endure the
torture and slobbering which went hand in
hand with a full hour's gas drill. The gas
mask was designed to save life and it did it
— with a vengeance!
On October 7th the 1 60th Artillery Brigade
started the three-day brigade problem on the
range. "F" had an ideal position, well camou-
flaged and defiladed. Each battery had its
own sector of "imaginary" enemy territory to
command, besides co-operating with the other
batteries in delivering concentration fire on
special targets. A large share of the work in
the brigade problem would come under the
head of "prepared fire." Our officers were in-
structed to deliver various barrages at speci-
fied times and the data for them was usually
prepared several hours ahead of time and
given to the chiefs of sections. The "im-
promptu" firing probably demanded more
skill, speed and coolness on the part of of-
ficers and men but even these problems were
handled as smoothly and efficiently as clock
work. The men of "F" had complete confi-
"Snaky" Long can depict the character of
Capt. Brady at Guard Mount wonderfully well
but unfortunately he hasn't the knack of extract-
ing beaucoup money by a mere twist of the
mustache. That Long, is an art in itself!
dence in the ability of Captain Cabeen (popu-
larly known as "The Skipper"), Lieutenant
Kaufman and Lieutenant Brennan. These of-
ficers knew their work and consequently won
the respect and admiration of the men. Lieu-
tenant Head had shown remarkable ability at
directing fire, during a certain aeroplane prob-
lem, and was therefore temporarily detached
fom "F" to become an instructor. Lieutenannt
Dukes, too, had been taken from us and as-
signed to Headquarters. Dukes probably
ranked next to Captain Cabeen for popularity
among the men because he had an infectious
smile and devil-may-care way about him in
contact with the men.
With the end of the brigade problem came
the end of our intensive training. "F" came
through with a splendid record and both offi-
cers and men were commended for their work.
Our C. O. w^as curious to know which of his
batteries was most efficient, so each battery in
turn pulled into position in front of regimental
headquarters and "fired" a problem, using
dummy shells. As usual "Cabeen's F" took
first place. By this time every outfit in camp
Iiient. Jeroxne Head
knew of "Cabeen's F" and if we appear to
boast it only proves our high regard for our
officers cmd loyalty to our outfit I
About the 10th of October it started to rain!
rain!! rain!!! The roads and drill grounds be-
came sloppy and muddy. An epidemic of
influenza appeared among the men and several
members of "F" went to the hospital. Private
Gibbard died on October 1 1 th and was buried
by "F" in the camp cemetery. Notwithstand-
ing the nasty weather and condition of men
and horses, some "high Mogul" decided that
we must get accustomed to exposure and so
every day for a week we threw packs over
our shoulders, hooked the horses to the pieces
and caissons and did an eight to ten kilometer
hike.
It was during these early days of October
that Lieutenant Poulter joined "F" and Ser-
geant Nottage replaced McBride as "top kick."
The principle amusements at Coetquidan
consisted of movies or show^s at the "Y," band
concerts, crap and poker games, and an occa-
sional A. W. O. L. to Rennnes. The most
frequented places were the "Ham and" resorts
on the outskirts of camp and the "little church
over the hill" where cognac flowed freely.
English walnuts and hazel nuts were about the
only "confections" obtainable. Those fellows
who were indisposed to walk down over the
hill to lay down their franc for a sack of nuts
were supplied by the regimental "vender,"
Bugler Stopper. Whenever the boys became
bored with the ordinary excitement of a camp
life, Hillger would come to the rescue and
hatch up some new deviltry.
But to get back to the cycle of events. On
October 22nd we finished packing up our be-
longings and on October 23rd we took our
leave of Camp Coetquidan, loaded our ord-
143 —
nance, horses and other materiel on cars at
Guer and at eight minutes after nine o'clock
p. m. we began in earnest our trip toward "No
Man's Land." Early next morning we stopped
a half hour at Laval for breakfast (iron rations
of course) , then proceeded to Le Mans where
we had a cooked dinner. When we pulled out
of Le Mans, girl "brakies" took up their posi-
tions in the chilly brakeman's "annex" and
created considerable interest, for by this time
"girls" was a strange word in our vocabulary.
About I 1 o'clock that night we passed through
Versailles and strained our eyes for some
glimpse of "Gay Paree" but in vain. At 3:00
o'clock on the 25 th we detrained at Andelot
and did another famous hike to Humberville.
Sgt. Sheedy at Coetqui«lan before dismissing
the old guard: "Inspection, rewolvers!"
The only casualty during the trip was one
horse.
Humberville was an ideal camp as camps
go. A little cluster of wooden barracks lay
in a valley sheltered on three sides by high
hills. The foliage on the trees was resplendent
with color and from a spot on top of the hill
the view of the camp, town and surrounding
territory was wonderful. Humberville is about
28 kilometers from Chaumont, General Persh-
ing's headquarters and consequently the na-
tionale roads in the neighborhood were filled
with speeding cars and motorcycles, trucks
and supply trains. In the barracks at Humber-
ville we were agreeably surprised to find bunks
and it didn't take our Supply Sergeant long to
provide us with bed sacks and hay. But our
stay there was short and sweet I October 30th
we entrained again at Rimaucourt and at 5 :00
p. m. pulled out for "parts unknown." At 1 I :00
o'clock we knew we were in the danger zone
for searchlights were scanning the skies in
Detroit "She": "And when you're away to the
war, I want you to think of me each evening at
nine o'clock."
Sgt. Akiey: "Make it 9:15, can't you? I've
got to think of the girl in Kalamazoo at nine."
search of enemy bombing planes. As a mat-
ter of fact one of the towns along our route
was bombed shortly after we had passed
through. At 1 2 :00 p. m. we detrained at
Domgermain and hastened to get our equip-
ment off the cars and in motion for we had to
hike several kilometers before we could expect
to sleep. Finally we arrived at a camping spot,
a large cabbage patch. After picketing the
horses and making them as comfortable as
possible we pitched shelter halves and tried to
snatch a bit of rest. If you were there that
night you know what a difficult trick it is to
balance yourself on a cabbage head and drive
out the cold damp frost from beneath the
blankets with your breath. If you were NOT
there you've got something to be thankful for
every Thanksgiving Day hereafter. "F" is a
tough bunch, though, so we all came through
stiff but not stiffs.
Next day we continued our hike, passing
through the outskirts of Toul, and arrived at
Lagney, where we billeted in cow sheds, hay
lofts, etc. Through some misunderstanding
our packs were loaded into various wagons and
when the regiment arrived at Lagney about
dark no one could locate his belongings. Con-
sequently there was some wailing and gnash-
ing of teeth (the army way). Some bucks
hunted in vain for their packs and appropri-
ated blankets from a strange pack and pro-
ceeded to rest their weary bones among the
baled hay and oat bags in the forage wagon.
From that date it became the accepted cus-
tom to "appropriate" the necessities of life
and about the only thing a soldier would re-
fuse to appropriate went by the ncune "corned
willie."
One night in Lagney was enough to make
any man fight, so at 4:30 p. m., November
Private Goulides on sick report:
Caotain of Medical Corps: "Well, what's the
trouble?"
Goulides: "Sir, I've been slinging hash all
my life and have weak arches."
Captain (scratching his head): "H-m-m!
Guess I'll have to transfer you to the aviation
corps where you won't have to walk."
1 st, we moved on. We were so near to the
front lines now that all our movements were
made under cover of darkness. After several
hours travel we camped in a field which was
well spattered with shell holes and slept till
dawn. It was necessary to conceal ourselves
and equipment from aeroplane observation so
horses and material were camouflaged in the
woods adjoining our camping field and we
were given the day to explore "Dead Man's
Woods." Shell holes, barbed yfhe entangle-
ments, trenches, concrete dugouts, stumps of
trees, littered clothing and a huge cemetery
all bore evidence of the terrific battle which
had occurred at that place. "Dead Man's
Woods" is in the St. Mihiel sector. Accord-
ing to the stories circulated the French lost
thousands upon thousands of men trying to
drive the Germans from these positions. It
was in this same sector that the Yankees cov-
ered themselves with undying glory. The
French claimed "Dead Man's Woods" could
not be captured in six months but the Yanks
determined to drive the Huns out and when
they launched the St. Mihiel drive the Germans
were out of the woods in something like eight
hours. The French had fought so long and
— 144
— 145 —
lost so many men at this place that they were
bulldozed into the belief that it was invincible.
The Americans coming in, fresh and enthusi-
astic, determined to "call the bluff" and take
the "pot."
On the morning of November 2nd Captain
Cabeen, together with other officers of the
regiment, made a reconnaissance and deter-
mined the position which "F" was to occupy.
When he returned in the afternoon he called
the officers and some of the non-coms together
to tell them of his plans. Someone asked him
if there were many shells coming over and he
replied "beaucoup" (pronounced bookoo) but
there was that characteristic twinkle in his eye
which drove away anxiety and kindled our
desire to get into action. The first platoon
were to pull into position that night and the
balance of the battery was to go to the echelon
in the "Bois de Pannes" woods. During the
"What do you think of the army as far as
you have gone," inquired Sgt. Akley of Private
Rosenberg, who had just arrived at Camp Mills.
"I may like it after a while, but just now I
think there is too much drilling and fussing
around between meals," was Rosenberg's reply.
balance of the afternoon w^e sorted out the
materiel actually needed the first night at the
front and at dusk we discarded camouflage and
set out. At Essey the first platoon, guided by
the Captain, parted from the battery and con-
tinued through Pannes and Beney. "F" was
attached to the 28th Division. So at Beney
we turned to the left, following a camouflaged
road to a point where a narrow-gauge railway
crossed it, then turned to the right and fol-
lowed the road alongside the track up to the
edge of the woods "Bois de Beney." The
road which we followed was not only terribly
muddy but was cut up by shell holes and that
fact coupled with the inky blackness of the
night, made it one "hell" of a job trying to
keep right side up and moving. After much
strenuous work on the part of both horses and
men the two pieces w^ere pulled into position
and one caisson unloaded. The other caisson
became so mired in the mud just after leaving
the camouflaged road that it was impossible
to get it out that night and consequently it
was abandoned until the following night, when
tiie hauling work was completed. The drivers
went back to the echelon and the gun crews
proceeded to work the balance of the night
diggmg a suitable place for their pieces, in the
ditch.
By morning enough underbrush had been
cut away and dirt dug out to make room for
the pieces and after camouflaging them the fel-
lows laid down to rest and, if possible, to'
sleep.
During the day our position ■was located by
means of a traverse and plotted on the firing
maps. Some preliminary scouting work w^as
done and a forward observation post was
chosen. At night the second platoon came up
from the echelon and like the first bunch, strug-
gled through rain, mud and murky blackness
to get their pieces concealed before daylight.
The first two nights were probably the most
galling because of the strangeness of the place
and conditions under which the work was ac-
complished. During the day of November 4th
the fellows had a chance to get their bearings,
locate dugouts or other sheltered spots in which
to sleep and finish the digging of emplace-
ments for guns and ammunition caissons.
The Signal section established local tele-
phone connections and helped to complete the
balance of the liaison system so that in the
afternoon the battery was ready to lay their
pieces and fire for adjustment. Orders came
in to prepare for fire on a certain target and
in computing the data the officers found that
it was necessary to drag the guns out of their
positions in the ditch and into an open field.
This w^ork w^as completed about 3:00 a. m.,
November 5th. The pieces were "laid" and we
opened fire about 5 :00 a. m., continuing the
firing until 6:00 a. m. Then the gun crews
dragged their pieces back to the original posi-
tions and camouflaged them before daylight.
Some of our targets were the village of Damp-
vitoux where Hun working parties exposed
themselves, village of Donmartin, Marimboux
Farm, machine gun nests and cross roads near
Lauchaussee. While at the front "F" was at-
tached to the 34 1 st Field Artillery and sup-
ported the 111th, 112th Infantry and later
the 1 09 th and 1 1 0th Infantry, who relieved
the former. Our forward O. P. was situated
on the crest of a hill in the "Bois de Beney"
and overlooked our own front lines. Part of
the time we could see our shells falling on
enemy territory but usually the range was so
great that we could not determine their effect
and we were dependent upon our aerial ob-
servers for this information.
On November 1 1 th both the Huns and
Allies started in to do as much damage as
— 146
possible before 1 1 :00 o'clock should end the
struggle — and everywhere shells were hissing
through the air, big guns were barking at high
speed and machine guns drummed incessantly.
So many of the Hun shells were "duds" that
their fire, although accurate, was more or less
ineffective. If one could judge by the sound
the Yanks were sending over five shells for
every one Jerry hurled at us. At 10:59 a. m.
the order was given to "Cease Fire!" We were
at the front only nine days but during that
time we sent 2,150 shells into enemy territory
and came to know the hardships of actual fight-
ing. Mess for our men at the front was poor.
The first three or four days we lived on canned
beef and hardtack which we salvaged in the
woods. The cooks finally set up a kitchen
in "Bois de Beney" and then we had hot cof-
fee, bacon and bread for morning, and for
afternoon mess hot coffee, bread and perhaps
corned willie, warmed up canned beef, or slum.
, Probably if we had been at the front a longer
Sgt. Carney had spent three days and nights
at the front working in rain and mud and was
consequently well camouflaged by a copious
beard — sometimes mistaken for brush. Colonel
Campbell evidently didn't think much of the
camouflage for when he stopped to look over
the gun position and discovered Carney hiding
behind said beard, he gave orders for its im-
mediate removal. Why, Carney! I ! Didn't
you realize you ^ere liable to give the Huns a
bad impression of the American soldier and na-
tion by such a rough appearance?
time we might have made connections for
better and sufficient food. Sleeping in dug-
outs, washing in shell holes, eating corned
willie and working in mud and rain are not
really fascinating pastimes so "F" was lucky
to spend only nine days existing under these
conditions. Captain Cabeen, Lieutenants
Kaufman and Brennan and a few of the en-
listed men were at the position continually but
the gun crews worked in two-day shifts, spend-
ing part of the time at the echelon.
During the afternoon of the 1 1 th the ma-
jority of the battery were collected at Beney.
Some of the boys made a trip up to the Ger-
man lines to get a close-up view of No Man's
Land, while others stayed at the position as
guards. Sergeant Alerie and Private Servis
were both injured seriously by an explosion of
a "one pounder" which Servis was trying to
dismantle for a souvenir. Both were taken to
the hospital immediately where Servis died of
his wounds. While convalescing Alerie was
returned to the United States as a casual.
We stayed at Beney two nights, getting up
at 12:00 p. m., November 13th, to prepare
for a hike. After joining the first battalion just
outside of Thiaucourt we hiked through the
very heart of St. Mihiel, Metz battle grounds
on our way to Pont-a-Mousson. Everywhere
we looked we saw trenches, barbed wire en-
tanglements, camouflaged positions and ceme-
teries— certainly a devastated region. At 3 :00
o'clock in the afternoon we reached our desti-
nation, a city of a pre-war population of per-
haps 20,000 inhabitants. Pont-a-Mousson is
in Lorraine, between Metz and Nancy, and has
the ear-marks of a prosperous city but it had
been evacuated by the inhabitants shortly after
war was declared.
Two big buildings were allotted to "F" and^
Battery "T" Billets Pont-a-Mousson
we soon found mattresses, chairs, tables, stoves -
and miscellaneous furniture with which to fur-
nish our rooms. Some of the rooms even
boasted "beds." When we were fairly set-
tled we hunted up a grocery store and there-
after had eggs, bread, butter, etc., as long as
our francs held out. Physical exercise, squads
right, hikes, pistol practice, gun drill and ath-
letics helped to keep the boys in trim if not out
of mischief. "F" had several explorers who
located the "Thousand Bottles" which served
to keep most of us in good spirits and occa-
sionally in the brig during our sojourn in Pont-
a-Mousson. Thanksgiving Day was celebrated
with good eats and services in the big church
on Rue St. Laurent.
About the 12th of December Captain Ca-
been was taken ill and went to the base hos-
pital at Toul. At retreat on December 1 6th
Lieutenant Kaufman announced his death.
This news fairly stunned us, for every man in
"F" knew that we had lost a real friend. De-
cember 1 7th some forty men of "F" and offi-
— 147-
cers of the regiment were taken to Toul in
trucks to attend his funeral.
Captain Booth assumed command of "F"
a few days later.
Christmas at Pont-a-Mousson passed quiet-
ly. The cooks set up a splendid dinner, plain
perhaps, but substantial. Tobacco, cigarettes,
chocolate bars and cigars were given out and
later in the afternoon we lined up and marched
to the Y. M. C. A. where more cigarettes.
Captain Kidd's hidden t<-easure was mere
trash compared to the buried treasures at Pont-
a-Mousson. Old John Silver M^ould have swap-
ped treasures any time if he had known what
fine vintages there \«rere in the world of Pont-a-
Mousson.
chocolates and cigars were given us. New
Year's Eve revelry lacked the interest and en-
thusiasm normally shown by such a crov^rd of
young men. All of us were terribly sick of
army life now that the fighting was over and
the uppermost thought in our minds was
"HOME." January dragged itself out and on
the 1 St of February we heard the glad tidings
that we were placed under the command of
the S. O. S. for immediate (?) transportation
to the U. S. A.
The next ten days were spent in turning in
our materiel, horses, etc., preparatory to leav-
ing Pont-a-Mousson. Lieutenant Poulter and
a part of the battery started on February 5 th
on a trip to the ordnance depot at Domger-
main to turn in guns, caissons and other ma-
teriel. The roads were icy and weather biting
cold. The horses were smooth shod and con-
sequently it ■was almost impossible for them
to travel. It took the party the better part of
four days to make the trip and it w^as a weary,
frostbitten and hungry bunch of men and
horses that returned on Saturday. The next
Hillger got pretty well acquainted with the
medical officers (in line of duty) over at Pont-a-
Mousson. In fact, he was a regular customer.
They even say that one morning Hillger forgot
to go on sick report and the medical officer re-
fused to sign the book until he was listed.
day the horses were turned over to the 7th
Division and we cleaned up our billets ready
to pull out Monday. At 10:00 a. m. we de-
parted from Pont-a-Mousson via truck, arriv-
ing at Douillard early in the forenoon. All
preparations for entraining were quickly made
but the train did not make its appearance until
4:00 p. m. Meanwhile we strolled uptown
and bought all of the edibles in sight. Some
of the boys also obtained cognac and rhum, so
about 2:00 p. m. Lieutenant Barnum threw a
drag net of P. G.'s over the town and marched
all deliquents back to the railway siding to
await our train.
"F" was assigned seven French box cars
when the train pulled into the siding and we
soon had our stoves set up, fire started, wood,
rations and packs aboard and were settled for
the trip. There wasn't room for everyone to
lie down and sleep at one time so we took our
turns. About 4:00 a. m., Tuesday morning,
while we were passing through the switching
yards at Gondrecourt, a French train rammed
into the middle of our train, derailing six of
our seven cars and tipping one almost onto its
side. All of the boys in the upturned car were
thrown into a heap but none w^ere seriously
hurt. The hay caught fire but the stove was
thrown out and fire quickly extinguished. A
serious catastrophe was averted only because
of the fact that both trains were moving slowly.
The front and rear sections of the train were
pulled onto another track and six other cars
replaced the ones derailed. A few of us walked
down into the village of Gondrecourt and ob-
tained coffee, sandwiches and other eats at
the "Y," then returned to the railroad yards
and transferred our belongings to the new cars.
Inside of three hours we were again on our
Sergt. Ruhl wants to know who filled his hel-
met with paste last New Year's night at Pont-a-
Mousson.
way. Wednesday afternoon our train pulled
into the American camp at Gievres, the largest
Quartermaster's camp of the A. E. F. At first
we thought this was our destination but a new
crew hitched onto our train and we continued
our way. Thursday morning we detrained at
Mondoubleau and hiked thirteen kilometers to
Berfay where we were billeted for a couple of
weeks. Baths and "cootie" inspections v^'ere
endured daily. Clean up! was the iron-clad
order. About February 1 6th Captain Booth
returned to his position as adjutant of the first
battalion and Lieutenant Brennan assumed
command of "F." On February 24th, Lieu-
tenant Coryell was re-attached. March 2nd
at 8:00 o'clock we packed up our belongings,
stacked them into trucks and then started to-
ward the Le Mans camp. After zig-zagging
through various country roads all day long we
finally reached a big, vacant lime factory where
we were to put up for the night. Sore feet
and aching legs were common to all, for we
had covered about 34 kilometers which was
only a mere 1 0 kilometers farther than we
would have walked if we had followed the
main road into St. Calais and thence to the
factory. Next morning we continued our
journey, joining the rest of the I 60th Artillery
Brigade before we reached Camp D'Auvours.
We remained at this "Belgian" camp until
Sunday morning, March 9 th, then hiked
— 148 —
through the outskirts of Le Mans to the for-
warding camp where our train of American box
cars (52 men per car) waited to carry us to
Brest. Private Bunch was left behind for he
had gone A. W. O. L. to Le Mans and was
picked up by the M. P.s.
Next day we arrived at Brest and hiked to
Camp Pontanezen where we were billeted in
tents, with wood floors, stoves, cots and mat-
tresses. For a rest camp this one took the
prize. It seemed to us that the camp com-
mander's motto was "Rest if we don't catch
you at it." F Battery was called upon to fur-
nish the entire personnel for detail work of
all descriptions and none dared to shirk or pro-
test for the labor battalion had beaucoup agents
Captain Moore, as Officer of the Day, to Pri-
vate Casin: "Sentry, do you know your gen-
eral orders?"
Casin: "Yes, sir!"
Capt. Moore: "Good thing you do. I don't
know half of them myself."
to pick up men from home-going troops and
preserve them in the A. E. F. Between de-
tails we had baths, equipment inspection, per-
sonal inspections and other useless inspections.
But it had to end some time, so after putting
in two weeks at Pontanezen, we were allotted
space on the U. S. S. Leviathan and early Mon-
day morning, March 24th, we took our leave
of French soil and boarded this giant ship.
Two days after we boarded her the Leviathan
lifted anchor and, as we watched the shores
of France fade from sight, we heaved a sigh
of relief. Comparatively calm weather and a
smooth sea helped us to keep to our 6^ -day
schedule, so that we sighted Sandy Hook at
8:00 a. m., Wednesday, April 2nd, and docked
at 1 1 :00 o'clock. While en route Corporal W.
B. Sterling became ill and on arriving in New
York was detached from "F" and sent to the
Little old Messac, sure we can't forget
The davs we soent with you.
You're small and quiet and slow, I know.
But your heart was sood and true.
Oh, those swims in the little old river.
And the pump with the water so clear;
The barber, the girl in the little old store,
With the costume on Sunday so queer!
Our quarters were awful and so were our
meals,
But still we have found more and more
We thrive on those meals as bad as they
are.
While on the hardest bed we still snore.
hospital. On arriving in Camp Mills Sergeant
Rennex, Sergeant Rugila, Corporal Zimmel,
Mechanic Sprague and Private Humphriss were
also transferred to the hospital. There isn t
much use trying to tell how we felt to get back
to God's country, for words can't express our
joy and satisfaction. The few days we spent
at Camp Mills we were "sitting on the world."
Beaucoup eats, sleep and passes to a real city
in a really civilized country. The only com-
plaint we had was the rough way our clothes
were used and left in a million v\rrinkles, just
when we wanted to look spick and span. But
who could harbor a grudge of any sort when
freedom and pursuit of happiness were so near.
Next came Custer and HOME where it will
be a pleasure to remain, "be it ever so hum-
ble." Old Battery F was finally disbanded
toward the last of April and, after the num-
erous "good-byes" — which were the hardest
bit of all the war — we stepped out as free men
again. Peace be to Allah!
CORP. EARL A. RICE,
Battery Editor.
Assisted by Rademacher.
— 149 —
._/*■:
HEADQUARTERS
COMPANY
Under modified tables of organization every
regiment of field artillery has a company de-
tailed on special duties. A company composed
of specialists in various lines of work necessary
to the maintenance and operation of an artil-
lery regiment and specialist instructors and
overseers to direct its work.
In the beginning it was not easy to choose
men suitable for membership in such an or-
ganization, consequently the personnel of the
Headquarters Company was assembled from
the ranks of other organizations and for a time
was more of a transit headquarters than an
established household.
Every name appearing on the roster of the
Headquarters Company carried with it an ex-
planation of some special ability possessed by
its owner. These specialists varied largely in
their duties. Requisites peculiar to the army
maintenance necessitated the frequent develop-
ment of new types of specialists and in many
instances men perfected themselves in their
line of duty in the brief time between their en-
tering camp and their entering the battle field.
To direct the activities of such a company
it was necessary to assign to its ranks officers
trained in the lines of duty peculiar to the opera-
tion of such a company. The officers for the
greater part came from walks of life which
naturally developed the abilities necessary
there. There was, of course, some shifting
and changing of the officers' personnel but with
the exception of promotions which removed
•some from the command, few instances caused
the removal or addition to the roster.
So after months of drafting from other or-
ganizations and strenuous training the person-
nel became a unit, constant in its membership
and, as was proven later, worthy of the tasks
which fell to its lot.
The first duty of the officers of the Head-
quarters Comany was to train raw recruits into
regulation soldiers. Without soldierly disci-
pline, soldierly habits and soldierly concep-
tions the strenuous training in the later periods
would have availed but little. The military
courtesies, the foot drills, the mounted drills
and the teachings of the martial law were for
the greater part the courses of training predom-
inant at first. Once well schooled in these
branches the more special training demanded
the whole of every man's attention. On ac-
count of a lack of sufficient equipment the
theoretical side of the specialists' operations
was studied under cautious and exacting in-
structors. The telephone, orientation, radio
telegraph, and other details were instructed in
the basic principles upon which the science
with which they worked was based and ac-
quired information that will long remain vrith
them, even to an advantage in their civil life
after the war. Unlike the daily routine of the
battery the stables, though requiring the pre-
scribed attendance each day, did not come in
for the larger part of the day's work. Every
man studying some particular job was im-
pressed with the fact that he was to be solely
responsible for the proper carrying on of his
task and he alone just as responsible for fail-
ure should it ever fail. Peculiar to the tasks
of Headquarters men it could not be said that
there was always another ready to take a fallen
comrade's place or another handy to correct
the error of a thoughtless or incompetent man
on the job.
So the soldier specialist became the aim of
this army university. After the preliminary
training the practical side of operations was
taken up and actual experience in the field be-
came an everyday occurrence. In a few in-
stances the instructions received during the pre-
liminary training had to be forgotten and oth-
ers hurriedly learned on account of the dif-
ference in equipment and mode of operation
encountered as our troops reached the other
side. But in no way did this result in a de-
preciation of the benefits derived from our
early training at Camp Custer.
It was not all work in those days, however,
for the tasks of the soldier, done at retreat,
were followed by sorts of his own liking and
studies of his own choosing, except when privi-
leges were by necessity taken from him. The
seasons permitting, a wholesome social life
was enjoyed to the very extent that each in-
dividual wished to enjoy it. Contagious dis-
ease in the company at times resulted in quar-
antines which forbade the soldier even the
— 150 —
company of friends in other batteries, to say
nothing of the acquaintances that had been
made in nearby towns, but it was during those
quarantines that the splendid morale developed
in the soldier showed itself.
On the 1 St of July, 1918, our work on the
range having been completed, preparations
were started for entraining for a port of em-
barkation. The daily routine was dispensed
with at this time and the making ready to go
demanded the whole of the daylight hours.
From early morning until late at night the men
worked packing their equipment, such as har-
ness, instruments and quartermaster's supplies.
On the 1 6th of July we entrained for Camp
Mills, Long Island, New York. The stay at
Capt. George S. Wiley
Camp Mills afforded the men an opportunity
of visiting New York and this opportunity was
not overlooked by many. Most of the visit-
ing places of interest had to be done at night,
owing to the stringent ordeal through which
each company went in its final preparation for
departure. But for the heat and dust the stay
at Camp Mills was agreeable and in compara-
tive comfort.
On the 30th of July final instructions were
received in regard to our embarkation. Ad-
vanced details were chosen for the handling
of the luggage and the men were confined to
quarters in anticipation of the order to take
up the march. With full overseas equipment
the company advanced by foot to the railroad
at Camp Mills, thence to Long Island city and
by ferry to the Brooklyn docks where it board-
ed the Maunganui, a New Zealand ex-freighter
equipped for troop movements.
For eleven days the company, together with
others of the regiment, bore with the Maun-
ganui in her toiling across the Atlantic. It is
doubtful that a ship equipped with navigating
instruments ever took such a zig-zag course be-
fore Little objection was raised, however,
to her fanatic movements, for each man real-
ized the danger lurking beneath the waves in
Intent. Roland Iioeffler
the form of the submarines. It was to dodge
these dreaded craft that eleven days were spent
in this uncomfortable form of travel. At last
on the morning of August 1 0th the Maun-
ganui entered the North Channel, sailed down
the Irish coast and laid in wait outside the har-
bor of Liverpool. A heavy fog prevented her
entering immediately, but the delay, even
within sight of the end of our journey, was not
unwelcome. Safe in the quiet harbor a final
rest was needed by the men. Later in the day
a landing was made at Liverpool and all troops
disembarked. The regiment was welcomed by
a British band and a large delegation of the
Iileut. Cbarles A. Coryell
civilian population of Liverpool. 1 he spirit
of the affair was not boisterous, but the appre-
ciation "of a friend in need" as "a friend in-
deed" was obvious in the kindly attitude of
— 151
the Britishers. The company marched through
Liverpool to the railroad station, thence in a
comfortable and fast train to Southampton.
Here again the same shout of welcome and evi-
dence of gratitude on the part of the people
was encountered. Owing to the
condition at Southampton
accommodations there were
poor. However, they had to
be borne but one night. Thor-
ough impression of the serious-
ness of affairs was first candid
at Le Havre. A guard was
thrown about the camp with
specific orders that no Ameri-
can should go out and that
Iiieut. Max (xorton
none other than British and Americans should
endure these orders seemed unusual, but the
necessity of absolute secrecy was impressed
upon the men by the recounting of the misfor-
tunes which had befallen our Allies previously
owing to a laxity in their giving out informa-
tion.
Early in the next day the U. S. S. Harvard
took the entire regiment across the British
Channel to Le Havre. One night at Le Havre
At Messac the berries were thick on the
bushes lining our field. Private Barsook thought
just one or two would not so bad in spite of
the orders against picking them. He was dis-
covered in the act and given a fevf days K. P.
"Hell," said Barsook afterwards, "it's a good
thins I didn't pick a quart or I'd be on K. P.
the rest of my life."
(which was sufficient for more reasons than
one) and again the advance was taken up, but
this time for a point not known to the men
until after two days of riding on the rickety
French railroad. The ultimate destination was
Messac.
Of all the enjoyable features, which were
few at best, the stay at Messac probably will
remain foremost in memories of the trip
abroad. Through the indulgence of the com-
manding officer the men were permitted to
rest and enjoy the majesty and splendor of
that historic part, a land at one time so rich in
romance. The beautiful river which separates
the village of Messac into two
parts was warm and quite as
inviting a bathing place as
could be w^ished for. The rest
from drills and lectures while
at this place was most fortu-
nate, just preceding the period
of final training which taxed
the personnel to its utmost.
From Messac the company
went by foot to Camp Coet-
quidan. Of this camp many
interesting stories have been
told and it was a fitting back-
ground in its historic signifi-
cance, for the final training the
men were to receive before
entering the conflict on the
western front. The advance
party was overtaken in this
place and was assigned to the
company for duty. It is to be regretted that
the troops had to enter this climate at a season
of the year which is conceded to be the worst.
Serious misfortune in the form of disease which
overtook members of the company here was
due not at all to any weakened physical con-
dition, but solely to the damp climate. The
severest task of all was becoming acclimated.
Once good health recovered after the first
blow from the elements, the final training
Virgil D. Dukes
I.ient. Wara C. Smith
period began in earnest. The company was
divided into details for the last time and each
detail was assigned to its larger organization
of the regiment for active duty. It was during
this period of training at Coetquidan that the
final lesson of unity in action and co-operation
was taught. Vivid impressions of the war at
'a distance were given and the company ap-
proached as near to the real as was possible
152
without actually entering the battlefield.
A secret hope in the heart of most every
American soldier on his way to the front was
that he might at least pass through Paris.
This hope was blasted, however, by the con-
gested condition of the rail-
roads. The train was detoured
near the outskirts of the French
capital and, within sight of the
suburbs, the famous city was
skirted and to the majority the
last chance was lost. Later,
after the armistice, some of the
men w^ere granted leave to
visit Paris, but to those who
were less fortunate, the little
act of the railroad men in
switching the train around will
ever be held against them.
Journeying to the very brink
of the war zone with scarcely a
stop long enough o afford a rest
the company was detrained
some twenty kilometers from
the little town of Orquevaux.
So near to the scene of action
it was necessary tq exercise
great care in order to keep
aviator, who was at that time
ifrom leaning the whereabouts
ganization, and paying unwelcome
That doubtless was the reason why Orque-
vaux was chosen as the nex stopping place.
Hidded deep in the hills it afforded pro-
tection from scouts, and on account of the
climate and water a very suitable place for a
final rest before gonig into the lines. Little
work and a good deal of play was indulged in
at this stop.
The next move, which was by rail, skirted
the battle area, and landed the company at
taken up. Two days of slow progress and one
night in a stable netted a gain of some thirty
kilometers. The company was halted after
darkness on the outskirts of a dense wood and
pitched camp. It wasn't much of a camp, but
after two such days the graves
and shell holes beneath and the
shells and planes overhead
didn't interfere much with the
night's sleep. Early in the
morning the company moved
into the woods, where the
whole of the battalion was hid-
den. The chances are that the
hours which followed will long
be remembered, and scarcely
as ones of great pleasure. It
Uent.
Clifford R. Camahan
the
very
of
enemy
active,
the or-
visits.
Domgermain, a small supply depot near Toul.
It was in not a single feature like Orquevaux.
Lying exposed on the side of a hill, the only
protection that could be depended upon was
the series of anti-aircraft batteries which sur-
rounded it, and that could not be depended on
too much. Evidence of such a truth was plain
the first night the troops were billeted there.
German flyers, far out of reach of the guns,
circled over the town, apparently with no fear
of being struck.
A day and night's rest and the march was
Ueut. William F. Oregrson
was the first view at close range of the world
war. The woods had not long been rid of
the Germans, and the effects of the battle that
raged there were evident on every hand.
It has probably been truthfully quoted many
times that a man never knows just how he will
feel on the eve of going into battle, and that
he never really feels like he thought he would
feel. The exact moment at which the change
takes place is hard to tell, but the chances that
the rapid evolution of feeling took place then
and there with the men of the company are
very good.
A slightly different proposition confronted
the men of the headquarters company than
that of other companies. It was not a case of
"shoulder firm to shoulder" with them, but
rather a case of man for man because they
were soon to be separated and each individual
to go about his duties with his little detail or,
in many cases, all alone. The company could
little longer be a unit, for its duties demanded
that it separate.
But, Pat, didn't they tell you to join the ar-
tillery and ride?
153 —
The last meal together was eaten at the little
town of Bouillionville which was to be regi-
mental headquarters. From there the men
went in little groups to different parts of the
immediate sector to follow up their line of duty.
Not until after the war had
been won were the ranks of
the company reunited and good
friends again permitted to be
together.
A story of what happened in
the headquarters company dur-
ing their stay at the front would
Ueut. Oscar C. Iianders
be a disconnected, badly broken up affair, and
can be better told in the stories of each detail.
A more fortunate unit could not have gone
forward, however, because when the roll was
called some two weeks later not a man was
missing. In fact, there were a few extra pres-
ent. That may sound peculiar, but it was a
common occurrence in every company. Not
all the units which went to the front came out
as they went in and many a man found himself
Shorty Janecek grew tired of the routine at
Pont-a-Mousson and decided to explore the
town across the river. The M. P. stopped him
at the bridge. He went away, did a little sal-
vaging and returned in a short time wearing an
old French cap and coat. "Here, you can't go
across that bridge." "No compree, no com-
pree," from Janecek. "Get across there, you
no compree frog," said the guard and Shorty
went merrily on his way.
The fighting over, a period of relaxation, at
least from the more strenuous forms of treiin-
^ng, was welcome, it is not to be understood
that any laxity of discipline was tolerated. On
the other hand, the health and morale, of any-
thing, were improved.
For billets the company
drew a college building on the
very banks of the river. "A
school superior for young wom-
en" was quickly converted into
a winter home abroad for
young Americans. And the
young Americans knew how to
make themselves comfortable.
Winter was at hand and the
soldier's fancies lightly turned
to thoughts of stoves and fire-
wood. The former proved
easy to get. The latter wasn't
so hard to get until the General
decided it would be a violation
of orders to remove wood of
any kind from houses, barns, sheds, lots or any-
where, not matter in what condition it existed.
The order was enforced all right, but it wasn't
a freeze-out.
The only thing that really marred the hap-
piness in expectancy of a trip back home was a
gift by someone of a hundred or so head of
horses. It is to be doubted that ever a more
forlorn group of brutes was ushered into the
presence of man. The contracting ability had
been exercised between their bodies and all
equestrian diseases, and their temper was out-
pointed only by their distemper. It may have
been some pleasure, however, when a month
or two later the company lined up and watched
the blind and the lame and the halt amble out
of the stable lot for the last time, a living
tribute to the worthiness of the army humane
society, organized for the preservation of the
army mule.
Harold W. Mead
without a company when the battle was over.
In a case like that nothing could be more
American than to report to the first command
encountered for duty. These strangers, of
course, did not remain, but were in due time
transferred to posts where they were more
needed.
An assembly of the company took place
at Pont-a-Mousson on the Moselle river.
Fortunate in the extreme were the troops
located in Pont-a-Mousson. The city, al-
though badly shell torn, was homelike com-
pared to some places where troops had to bil-
let. Quarters were comfortable and regular-
ity in company habits was soon established.
Basket ball, football, baseball and track
events claimed first honors in the roll of enter-
tainment. Night life was not exactly gay, yet a
group of soldiers just out of battle, gathered
about an open fireplace, could and did find lots
of interesting things to talk about. The most
popular rumor of the day was the one that we
were going home. It took a long time for that
to evolve into a reality, however, and when
the final command to move came, six weeks
had slipped away. The time was profitably
spent by most of the men, however, and will
— 155 —
not be recorded in the same class with other
periods. A large percentage of the company
took advantage of the army school which was
opened in Pont-a-Mousson to study courses
parallel with those in the modern grade school.
It was decided that a history
of the regiment should be com-
piled and work on that de-
Rusak, the company tailor,
was approached at St. Calais by
a 328th officer and asked to fix
a coat. "Tree twent-eight shoe
man no fix shoe for one my
lieutenants, me no fix coat for
tree twent-eight."
the United States. No digression from the pre-
scribed course w^as made by a single man of
the company.
The company marched off the world's larg-
est steamship at Hoboken, N. J. Retracing the
course taken on leaving the
United States ten months pre-
vious, the whole regiment went
to Camp Mills and thence by
ferry and rail to Camp Custer,
the original starting point. The
mustering-out machinery was
manded the attention of some,
especially the photographers,
during the greater part of the
g{j,y lieut. Alliert C,
With warm weather came the
command to move. Anxiety to get home
made the trip in box cars bearable and with
the final lap of the long journey to the war
and back almost within sight new^ life and
energy gripped the company. Had it not been
for the dauntless spirit of the men it is not
unlikely that a repetition of the misfortunes
that overtook the company at Camp Coetqui-
dan would have occurred, as we encountered
the worst of all conditions, both from the
standpoint of weather and billets at the village
of St. Calais. Near cases of pneumonia were
beaten by a great
many of the men and
although they stag-
gered under the at-
tacks of influenza and
la grippe the ranks
were full when the
last leg of the journey
to the sea was entered
on.
Travel specifica-
tions for the whole
regiment read via
Brest and the final
cootie baths and the
U. S. S. Leviathan to Headauarters Co.
— 15
Kieut. Harney B. Stover
set in motion almost immediately and in less
than a week every man was on his way home
with an honorable discharge in his pocket.
In looking back over the record of events
recorded against the Headquarters Company,
a story of interest is written between the lines.
Headed by officers who were for the men and
composed of men who were for their officers,
and composed of men and officers who real-
ized their obligations to their country and to
one another, the company lived its life in the
service of a cause in which it believed, to the
best advantage it knew how. In disbanding
its members scattered to all parts of the coun-
try, but not one has gone to the furthermost
point without the indelible imprint in his char-
acter and personality made by a host of friends
well met, and worthily dealt with.
^2»»»2^>^\j-fVV
PM
/' f.jj^
J
■^■H
fw
'j><
J
^^^^^1
' .'^'■'^^^^s/i
W'
/
-^»^
MH^H
f^^^L
w
. 1 ■
B^B
B|j|
■^
Wy
id
n
W^
^^1
a
R'^^SPfl JHHI
H
(The o r i ginal
history having
been in such form
as to make it im-
possible to use it,
and no accurate
records being
available at this
time, the forego-
ing, written by
Corporal Inlow, is
necessarily lack-
ing in personal
detail which it
was hoped to in-
clude.— The Edi-
tor.)
Billets — ^Font-a-Mousson
6 —
SUPPLY
COMPANY
Supply companies have been organized in
the army to carry on the work in a regiment,
the name itself suggests, and even mail order
houses do not carry, and dispose of, a more
varied line of necessities.
A Supply Company, better known as a
"Fatigue Outfit," is usually given little or no
credit, but were it not for the untiring efforts
of the entire company from the Captain down
to the lowest buck private, and even the lowly
mule, the remaining organizations in a regi-
ment would find difficulty in existing.
On September 5, 1917, the 329th F. A.
Supply Company was organized at Camp Cus-
ter, Michigan, under the able supervision of
Captain Glenn E. Phillips and Lieutenant Clif-
ton L. Barnum, who began business with a
band of men, or rather would-be soldiers, large
enough to form a squad which did "Squads
East and West" the better part of two weeks.
More selects began to arrive on September
2 1 st and with the coming of the new rookies
things in general began to develop rapidly and
from "Squads East and West" the gang turned
to mule-taming and wagon-building.
From chaotic masses of bolts, wheels, side-
boards, tail-gates, bottoms and everything else
that is required for the job, real army Escort
Wagons grew, and the wildest mule soon be-
came as gentle as a kitten (almost).
Breaking-in the long-eared creatures was by
no means a pleasant or easy task, and every-
body, ribbon-clerks, bookkeepers, lawyers,
farmers and laborers, all found difficulty in
keeping steady knees when they were ordered
to manicure the "pet" assigned to them, for
mules have an excellent reputation for execut-
ing foot-movements from the rear, and these
jacks were no exception.
Some wise mule-skinner has described his
favorite animal as being a "Reptile with the
ambition for work of a buck private and hav-
ing the disposition of a First Sergeant."
After a few weeks of patient toil, a well
organized wagon-train had developed and the
company began real business. It would be
useless to enumerate the various items of
equipment and supplies that were drawn and
issued to maintain the regiment and to prepare
it for Overseas Service, but try to imagine
what might be seen in a blacksmith shop, sad-
>■ ;!.
dlery, shoe shop, stationery store, butcher
shop, grocery store, music establishment, coal
and wood yard, clothing firm, feed store and
everything a ten-cent store or second-hand pal-
ace crowds on its counters, then you have
some idea of what passes thru the hands of a
Supply Officer and his staff.
Getting and issuing equipnjent and materiel
is only a part of the work, the most important
and nerve-wrecking end of the game is the ac-
counting for government property. Many a
night was spent on paper-work and not only
nights, but Sundays and holidays found the
office staff laboring at their desks while the
mules and drivers w^ere assisting the Engineers
at road-building, consequently the coveted
Detroit and Battle Creek passes were not as
numerous as the demand warranted, but the
company toiled on uncomplainingly.
Spring came and passed, and the same rou-
tine garrison duties were performed, but with
the coming of Summer, old Dame Rumor was
busy spreading reports concerning an early de-
parture for European service and soon after
rumors became facts. After ten months of
Camp Custer service, the news was received
w^ith much enthusiasm and nobody failed to
work at top speed in order to be ready to
leave when the order arrived.
Enough lumber, strap-iron, nails and paint
w^as draw^n to almost start a new camp and
within a short time each organization had
built a stack of neatly made and stenciled
boxes and crates which w^hen packed filled five
real U. S. box cars.
The trip across the sea on the Maunganui
was uneventful and not the least bit exciting.
The daring submarine failed to make an ap-
pearance, not even to amuse the boys who
joined the army to see the world and all it
contained.
After eleven days of seafaring the coasts of
Ireland and Scotland were sighted and before
many hours had passed all troops debarked at
Liverpool. The stop at this city was indeed a
short one, as transportation was awaiting to
move the regiment across the country to South-
ampton, where the 329th encountered its first
experience with a rest camp. Why such
places were designated as "REST CAMPS" is
a puzzle that will never be solved, yet there
—157 —
was one thing comforting and that was the
fact that the floors of the barracks were of
SOFT wood which helped considerably to rest
weary limbs.
The next day the company sailed across the
English Channel to France and landed at Le
Havre where another rest camp was found.
After a night of rest, orders arrived directing
the first move over the famous 40 Hommes et
8 Chevaux route. When 32 men occupied one
Capt. Qlenn E. PliilUps
of these renowned French Pullmans, it was
more or less a novelty to make an effort to get
a sleep, there were entirely too many feet in
the car and but for that fact, the trick might
have beeen accomplished with a few previous
drills by the numbers. It seemed quite evi-
dent that the originator of the plan had some
idea of creating a four-in-one combination,
sleeping, dining, parlor and horse car and
for some unknown reason, perhaps German
propaganda, the vehicle passed censorship.
The journey ended at a little French town
called Messac, where the company spent about
ten days hauling rations to the other organiza-
tions and ten nights sampling the various
brands of wet goods.
After these few days of leisure and a long
hike with full packs. Camp Coetquidan was
reached and here the Company resumed the
duties it had dropped at Camp Custer.
Equipment was drawn according to the
latest Manuals for Service in Europe. The
faithful mule was a thing of the past. Horses
replaced them much to the regret of the
wagoners, and the fine army escort wagons
gave way to what was known as British service
wagons, which were a poor substitute for the
excellent train that was left under the sheds in
Michigan, thousands of miles away. Before
departing for the front, however, the wagoners
assembled another train of American escorts
which made traveling a good bit easier.
With rations for a five-day period, and all
combat equipment, the company left Coet-
quidan for the front on October 26, 1918.
Railroad tremsportation ended at Domgermain,
where the regiment assembled for the march
into the advance section. The column, com-
posed of supply train, rolling kitchens, ra-
tion cars, w^ater carts, caissons, pieces and
limbers, together with long lines of troops
wearing steel helmets and gas masks, was an
impressive sight and made a fellow feel proud
to be serving under Old Glory.
The period at the front was long enough to
give the Supply Staff a few sleepless nights
wondering how to get the necessary rations
and supplies from the base sections for the
troops in the pits. With the exception of a few
shells during the nights, Fritz in no way
harassed the Supply Company, nevertheless, it
was a big relief when news of the signing of the
armistice arrived. It meant that difficulties in
obtaining food and equipment were over and
with no regret the village of Bouillionville was
evacuated two days later and the never-to-be-
forgotten hike to Pont-a-Mousson com-
menced.
Over the shell-torn roads thru No-Mans-
Land, up hill and down hill the boys who
joined the artillery to ride, hiked on, with
heavy packs loaded down with souvenirs, and
on November 15 th settled at Pont-a-Mousson,
a tow^n that had been a target for German
artillery and aerial bombs, rendering a once
thriving town a mass of ruins.
From this time, the big question was — When
do we go home? — and scarcely a day passed
without some rumor about leaving for Amer-
ica.
Life in this town was at its best monoto-
nous. The place was deserted and the boys
awaited patiently for the wrecks, that were at
Iiient. Clifton !■. Barjmm
one time lively cafes, to resume business and
as a matter of fact, this was the first line of
business to be established, which helped much
to make life worth living and likewise afforded
a means for disposing of accumulated francs.
As a joy-killer rumors with some foundation
were spread to the effect that the outfit was to
be sent into Germany as part of the Army of
Occupation. To strengthen these rumors and
to damper home-going hopes, truck loads of
equipment were drawn from Toul. However
all noises about troop movements seemed to
sift down to mere bubbles which finally burst.
158 —
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l^. *^ ^'
S.S.
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^ u L 'fe
^ ©/ i' 1
"1
^ «* ™ SS- S- fe* fe- ^ '" ■
■ft ^ A ^^•^i'^ff
9 4^1
Supply Company-
leaving the disappointed or sometimes heart-
ened boys to wonder what the next one
would be.
It was in the early days of February that the
order to make ready for moving to the coast
arrived. This news was received with more
enthusiasm than the signing of the armistice
and with exceptional speed the equipment
was disposed of at Salvage Dumps and the
— Taken at Camp Mills
various depots and within a few^ days all were
ready to board the French sleeping cars for
the journey into the Le Mans Embarkation
Area.
The trip required a period of three days
and nights, but nobody complained. Home
was in sight and nothing was too hard to go
thru to reach that destination. Even the much
despised bully-beef was relished on that trip.
-m
e
«^t
a
; w ^ -^
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xa ^ 4^ w '^^ 0 -^ ^ ,^;
t.^ '■ %9^' %f l^^h^ ^ ^-^^^^ %^
The Other Half
— 159 —
At a small town called St. Calais, the com-
pany was billeted for about three weeks. it
■was a big relief to be settled in a place that
was surrounded by pretty green farms and void
of the damaging effect of shell fire. There
were restaurants here, also cafes and regular
stores all of which benefited greatly by the
sojourn of the company, the members of which
found it a novelty to test all the various brands
of spirits and to buy as many souvenirs as their
packs would hold.
Personal equipment which was much in de-
mand at this time, was drawn at Le Mans, a
distance of about twenty-five miles. The trip
Iiieut. Alexander S. TUange
to the warehouses and back to St. Calais was
an all-day grind for the motor trucks and de-
tails unless something went wrong with the en-
gine or the road was lost, making it necessary
for the crew to camp in some French barn over
chickens, pigs, cows and horses, awaiting day-
break for help to arrive.
The next stop was at Camp D'Auvours,
which had been at one time a Belgian artillery
training camp. This place afforded an op-
portunity to replace all shortages in personal
equipment and after the customary inspec-
tions the company again resumed its advance
on Brest, the much-talked-of Port of Embark-
ation. Living conditions in Camp Pontanezen
were as good as any the outfit encountered
during its wandering over the so-called Sunny
France. It is true, rain fell regularly almost
every day and there was mud, but since the
rain could hardly be prevented, mud was to be
expected. There were sidewalks and duck-
boards and no particular hardships resulting
from the mud were felt.
Considering the number of men to be fed
and conditions in general, the meals served
were good. There ■was plenty of food and
while at times it was somewhat slummy, there
was no reason why anyone should have gone
hungry.
One thing, however, that w^as given little or
no publicity, and which seemed always to
escape the notice of the numerous investiga-
tors, was the amount of fatigue work forced
upon the men awaiting embarkation. Every
man was willing to do something to help pass
the time, but it was hard for him to understand
why he should be called upon to w^ork in a
stone quarry on a Sunday in the rain, or during
the night hours on any occasion.
If the German prisoners and labor battal-
ions were allowed the day of rest, it does not
seem possible that the work was so necessary
that men of good standing should be called
upon to split a rock on a Sunday. This unnec-
essary fatigue ■work was the only condition at
Brest that brought forth complaints from the
men of this company. Even then they had no
come-back. To protest would perhaps have
meant a longer stay at the port.
After a two-week stay at Pontanezen, the
mighty Leviathan steamed into the port and
orders were issued to the Supply Company to
embark the next morning. It worked wonders
with the spirits of the men. Home, without a
doubt, was now vs^ithin grasp and the company
ceased to be a source of supply for the regi-
ment. Why shouldn't they have been happy?
Ordnance DetacHment
One of the least heard of, and one of the
most necessary departments of the regiment is
the detachment of enlisted men who draw,
issue, account, repair, and otherwise maintain
the Ordnance equipment of the regiment.
In order to get men for this special work,
they picked men from the batteries of the regi-
ment w^hose former occupation best suited
them for the job, and sent them to the Divi-
sion Ordnance School at Camp Custer. On
completion of the course, the men were trans-
ferred to the Ordnance Detachment, 329th
F. A.
Out of the little detachment of two non-
commissioned officers and two privates, it has
grown until before we left Camp Custer it
Uncle: The French have gained 400 meters
from the enemy."
Auntie: "How splendid! That should help to
put a stop to those dreadful gas attacks."
boasted of twelve men: One Ordnance Ser-
geant, one Sergeant of Ordnance, two Cor-
porals, three privates, first class, five privates.
Private McNulty having been promoted to the
rank of corporal during the growth of the
outfit. The other corporal, Henry J. Sievers,
a new man in the outfit, claiming his date of
enlistment as September 27th, 1 9 1 7, (that
fateful month) being attached to Battery A.
He was transferred to the Ordnance Detach-
ment on March 26th, and was sent to Rock
Island Arsenal along with three privates, Alan
F. Danzer, Vern D. Cherry, and Thomas
— 160 —
Flaherty, for instruction in Ordnance repair
work, the course lasting 28 days. Henry was
promoted to the rank of corporal, making the
roster of the detachment look something like
this:
George P. O'Brien, Ordnance Sergeant
Norman C. Sharkey, Sergeant of Ordnance
William J. McNulty, Corporal
Henry J. Sievers, Corporal
Vern D. Cherry, Private, first class
Alan F. Danzer, Private, first class
Thomas Flaherty, Private, first class
Charles A. Anderson, Private
Ollie E. Campbell, Private
Bernard J. Darr, Private
Harry Gardner, Private
Henry Kar, Private
Everything was going along fine, and not
casting any reflections on the efficiency of the
family. It might be said that during the train-
ing at Camp Custer, before the first real field
pieces arrived, the greater part of the Ord-
nance devised and procured places to spend
the time between reveille and retreat (ex-
cept mess time) in quiet and undisturbed slum-
ber, quite unknown to the daily inspectors,
who found great delight in seeing and being
sure that no one was "stalling on them." It
may also be said that the sleep they lost at the
front was simply a draft on the reserve they
had acquired in the camp back in the good old
U. S. A. How^ever, that cannot be altogether
relied upon, as Corporal McNulty claimed that
he must have more hours of sleep than the
ordinary man because he slept more slowly,
and therefore required more hours of slumber.
But it was not all sleep for the boys in the
Ordnance, and many a meal found them ab-
sent from the festive board, and at the ware-
house No. 1313 issuing equipment to the men
who were always arriving and leaving when
Custer was a replacement depot. But now
comes the tragedy. Someone in Washington
must have had a grudge against the 329th, so
ordered four 3-inch guns (in name only)
shipped to us. They were the most dilapi-
dated pieces of destruction ever devised by
man. It was up to the ordnance to fix them
up. Many a weary day was spent in repairing
and cleaning them up to make them look like
something. Then the batteries began using
them for drilling purposes. You can't imagine
what a bunch of green hands can do to a gun,
unless you are on the repair end. Finally they
get used to the old things and got up nerve
enough to suggest target practice. More
work — the ordnance had to handle all the am-
munition. Well, they took the guns into a field,
well behind a hill so that in case the guns did
blow up they would not destroy the Officers'
Quarters or Officers' Mess. Always an ord-
nance man going to take care of the "duds"
and to repair the faulty pieces. It was at tar-
get practice that the boys of this regiment got
all their muscle — the guns would never return
to battery, so the whole gun crew would get
on it and push.
Then came the harness. (Oh, sure, the ord-
nance men handled that, too.) It was worse
than the guns. It looked as if it had been used
in the Battle of Bunker Hill.
Did they use artillery in that battle? Well,
if it wasn't there, it should have been.
But at last came the new harness! It was a
joy to behold because, you see, we weren't
used to handling new stuff. They didn't have
Supply Company Billetts — Pont-a-Mousson
to threaten the supply sergeants to take this
stuff, they just grabbed it as if it were a dream.
Then came the new British "75s" — more
work for the Ordnance to put them in condi-
tion. But we were glad to do it, because we
knew we would not have to baby them along
to keep them in good humor so the batteries
could enjoy shooting them.
Do you know anything of army paper
work? There is where the Sergeant of Ord-
nance's work comes in. It is the most intricate
system ever devised for keeping one awake
at nights, having to account for every nut,
screw or pin ever received. In order to carry
all the property on hand in the regiment at one
time it takes a large set of books which has to
be absolutely correct, because the Ordnance
Department is the strictest when it comes to ac-
countability. It is the Ordnance Sergeant's job
to see that everything runs right, from paper
work to drawing, issuing and repairing ma-
teriel.
But the big time came when we were to
— 161 —
leave Custer to travel abroad for a visit with
the French. Had to turn in all our guns,
caissons, limbers, old harness, etc. They were
shipped to Camp Taylor, an officers' training
school. We think they shipped them there to
teach the officers to control their tempers.
At Camp Mills where everyone is supposed
to rest and get equipped, the Ordance men
again had to work overtime drawing equip-
ment. As it was not issued to the batteries, it
was up to the ordnance men to pack it and do
the marking necessary for overseas shipping.
The next time we see ordnance is in the little
village of Messac, a quaint little old town, full
of hard cider and wine. There they again
made themselves useful, helping to dispose of
At Lagney the detachment split, the Ordnance
Sergeant w^ith five men going with regimental
headquarters and first battalion and the Ser-
geant of Ordnance with four men going with
the second battalion.
Then came the monotonous work of supply-
ing grease, oils, ammunition, replacement of
defective equipment and damaged property.
The ammunition was handled by the muni-
tions officer. Second Lieutenant Ward L. Strat-
ton. The scheme of handling the ammunition
was simple and effective. Every battery was
supposed to have a day and a half's supply of
ammunition on hand. Every day at 3:00
o'clock (in France, fifteen heuers) the bat-
teries would make a report showing the amount
Hell I I hate to think of mornin' as I lay here in the dark,
1 hate to think of risin* to a mongrel whistle's bark —
Just another round of drillin', doin' things that ain't no use,
Left foot, right foot, left foot, givin' my poor corns abuse.
1 can feel 'em now a-spreadin' as my legs grows stiff an' numb,
Stickin' in their inner corners till you'd holler if you're dumb.
Just another round of drillin' an' a lot of other junk,
Learnin' heaps of stupid piffle when 1 might be in my bunk
In the good told town behind me where the beer's on tap all night,
.An' a guy -what's got a bank roll stands some chance of gettin' tight.
Home! Ain't that a word with meanin'? How 1 wish — but here I am —
In a minit I'll be dreamin', 1 can feel sleep comin' — DAMN!
H. L. Jackson.
the rations and supply their share to the fatigue
details.
The long, long trail to Coetquidan was an
unceremonious affair, the Ordnance hiking
alongside of their warrior brothers, but when
they hit Camp Coetquidan and Vinegar Hill,
their rear work began. They had a horror of
being quartered in the same stable, it is told,
that Napoleon had his horses in during this
great war.
They surely believed it because the boards
that Napoleon's horse kicked out were still out
and the rats were above the ordinary in size
and nerve. Half of the Custer freight did not
arrive so they had to be re-equipped, also had
to take some American equipment away and
substitute French.
Then came the departure to the front. Again
they moved with the Supply Cook, and it was
a proud outfit that boasted of the Ordnance
Detachment being a guest. All was well until
a little town called Domgermain was sighted.
There the regiment stopped to square them-
selves with the records. They closed their
eyes and turned in everything they could lay
their hands on — all that the faithful little
ordnance had worked so hard to supply them
with in their training. Again they moved
and each move saw them nearer the final test.
of ammunition on hand and the kind. The
munition officer would consolidate the report
and make a report showing shortage which
was taken to the division ordnance officer who,
after approving, caused it to be sent to the
ammunition dump, where the batteries would
draw "ammo" that night. Many a good story
could be told about the batteries drawing am-
munition and taking it up to the guns under
fire, but we will leave that for the batteries
to tell.
After the armistice was signed ordnance
moved to Pont-a-Mousson with the regiment,
where a good part of the ordnance equipment
was taken away. That necessitated the equip-
ping of the regiment anew, for it was thought
we would go with the Army of Occupation,
but on receiving orders to get ready for home
the batteries had to turn in their own equip-
ment, thereby relieving the ordnance of a
good, big job.
With most of the work over the boys are
awaiting anxiously for their trip across the
deep blue, vowing that if there was ever an-
other war it would not be ordnance work for
them if they could help it but, of course, every-
one says that about their line of work and if
Uncle Sam again called you would see the
same ones running for ordnance work.
162 —
Ordnance Equipment
The army of the United States was the best
equipped army that fought in the war. The
gigantic task of handling the equipment fell
largely to the ordnance department. Each
unit from a regiment up has a separate ord-
nance detachment which looks after the ord-
nance issue.
Frequent changes in ordnance are necessary
owing to variation in mode of operation, but
to gain an approximate idea of the expenditure
necessary to equip a regiment the standard
issues only need be considered. The fluctua-
tion of prices precludes any possibility of cer-
tified costs for all times but a price list taken
at random, which appears to be about the
average in most respects, quotes the personal
equipment for one man at about $28.00. This
includes in the greater part such articles as
pistol, steel helmet, mess kit, canteens, pack
carriers and first aid packets. To equip a regi-
ment at full strength of about fifteen hundred
men would cost $42,000.
The light Field Artillery regiment is issued
294 single mounts. Equipment for these ani-
mals, including such as saddles, saddle blank-
ets, bridle, spurs, halter and stable blanket, is
quoted at $78.80 a piece, totaling $23,167.20
for the regiment. For the draft horses, num-
bering 4 1 4, the harness and stable equipment
for each pair cost $241.84, making a total cost
of $50,060.
The necessary fire control instruments,
equipped with the finest grade of lenses and
requiring expert workmanship in construction,
represent a big factor in expenditure for equip-
ment. For operation at a battery command-
er's station a sissor telescope, an aiming circle
or goniometer and other smaller instruments
are used, which list at about $1,1 00. Six such
stations with two additional battalion stations
and one regimental station (the latter equipped
with a range finder) total a cost of $10,700.
The greatest item of expense in outfitting a
regiment of 75's for action is the guns wth
their limbers and caissons. The French 75
mm. which was used by our regiment was
adopted for the emergency on account of its
superiority in many respects. The advantages
it held were largely due to the exacting meth-
ods in its manufacture, which added greatly
to its cost, a section being quoted at $1 1,900.
Each of the six batteries has four sections and
four guns, making a total in cost of $285,600.
The cost of other rolling property such as
wagons, kitchens and reel carts is conserva-
tively placed at $23,500. Carpenter's tools,
blacksmith, wagoner and shoemaker's equip-
ment figure about $1,045.
It must be remembered that by adding the
cost of all these articles that only the cost of
one, and the original, issue is known. The
number of replacements necessary depends on
the sort of work the organization is doing. In
a strenuous campaign a complete re-issue might
be necessary in two weeks, while in garrison
perhaps not until the ordnance styles changed.
— 163
MEDICAL
DETACHMENT
Shortly after the United States declared war
against the militarism of the German govern-
ment, medical training camps were established
at some of the permanent army posts scat-
tered throughout the United States. One of
these camps was located at Fort Benjamin
Harrison, Indiana (being a short distance from
Indianapolis, the state capital). Doctors of
the Medical Reserve Corps of almost every
state within a radius of 750 miles were as-
sembled here, together with several thousand
men of the Medical Corps, Regular Army,
from the various recruiting depots such as Jef-
ferson Barracks, Mo., Columbus Barracks, O.,
and Ft. Thomas, Ky. It was here that the de-
tachment, Medical Department, No. 12, Ar-
tillery section, was organized per telegraphic
orders from the War Department, dated Au-
gust 23, 1917, which also directed us to pro-
ceed to Camp Custer, Michigan, located near
Battle Creek. The detachment at this time
numbered three Medical officers and twelve
Medical Corps men, being Captain James J.
Haviland, First Lieutenant William A. Cope-
land and First Lieutenant Forrest Reese, Ser-
geant M. F. Wetzel, Corporal C. W. Adkis-
son. Privates G. Baker, P. Catalano, E. L.
Flower, H. G. Hart, M. T. Kryah, D. V. Mc
Cully, L. Merique, F. L. Scott, F. Shockley and
Private John Karazin w^ho was left sick in the
post hospital.
We left Fort Benjamin Harrison, Ind., in the
early morning of August 27, 1917, and ar-
rived at our new location in the evening of the
same day. Camp Custer was located on and
among the sand hills which border the Kala-
mazoo River, so naturally our first impression
on getting off the train was the depth of the
sand and the enormous mounds of it. From
the train we marched with full pack along a
road w^hich was merely a path through a corn
field, up a giant hill which only served to in-
crease our respect for the dimensionous Michi-
gan sand mounds both in height and depth,
to our first view of Camp Custer.
The first impression was that of seeing an
enormous lumber yard, with sheds here and
there in the course of construction. There
were no roads, only dusty lanes between piles
of building and waste material. To one side
was a building with many partitioned or
"stalled" windows where we were told the
workmen (of which there w^ere several thou-
sand) checked in and out each day and re-
ceived their wages. The most peculiar thing
was the army post with the absence of sol-
diers. Besides those who came on the same
major J. J. Haviland
train with us there were only a few in uniform
here and there (from a Michigan National
Guard Infantry Regiment) doing guard duty.
Passing through all this confusion we came
to a series of skeleton and half-constructed
buildings. Just beyond this were a few build-
ings which the workmen had just completed.
In one of these the Y. M. C. A. had improvised
a reading and writing room. One nearby was
destined to be our home for a few days, which
we spent quietly doing nothing.
— 164-
On August 31, 1917, we were informed that
the Detachment Medical Department No. 1 2
was attached to the 329th Field Artillery for
duty. The 329th Field Artillery was then a
myth as far as fighting power was concerned,
for it was only a '"paper regiment" with no
combatant troops. About September 4, 1917,
the first of the men called to the colors through
Capt. William A. Copeland
the selective service act arrived at camp. Dur-
ing the next few^ days more followed, until the
first quota was filled. All through our inten-
sive training season at Fort Benjamin Harrison
we were wondering what important role we
were to play in counter balance to the long
hours we had spent in study. We were soon
to know and our initiation was in the examina-
tion barracks. Each man coming to camp must
be given a thorough physical examination.
This, together with the medical attention of
the men and the administration of the famous
triple typhoid vaccine and smallpox vaccina-
tion, comprised our varied duties.
At this time we received two new men, Ig-
nace T. Becker and Thomas B. McCune, both
from Detroit. Soon after First Lieutenant For-
rest Reese, M. C, was relieved from duty and
directed to proceed to Camp Shelby, Miss.
On September 20, 1917, the next quota of
selects began to arrive and with them came
ten new men for us: George Johnson, Alex-
ander Kelley, Juel Lundquest, Edward Nicklas,
Arthur Petey, Albert Schuster, Edgar H. Rupp,
Andy Telep, Albert Toggweiler and Lester
Useted. While these men were adapting them-
selves to their scientific environment the or-
ganization was favored with the assignment of
two Dental officers, First Lieutenants Clarence
P. Landgrebe and Cornelius Locke. The regi-
ment to which we were assigned having receiv-
ed these quotas of men, we were in need of
another Medical officer and First Lieutenant
James A. Humphrey was assigned accordingly.
Later came three other Medical Corps men:
Anthony Socol, John Skarwat and Joseph
Uberman.
The gradual increase in the number of men
in camp as different quotas were called and
accepted soon called for more room and as
the barracks for the Artillery Brigade were
about completed, we left the Infantry section
and took our place in our own barracks where
we remained until we left for the port of em-
barkation. As the men became acclimated
to their work and surroundings, less sickness
was prevalent in the regiment and less men
were accordingly needed to carry on the medi-
cal duties. For this cause our organization
suffered a number of transfers, namely: Pri-
vates Baker, McCully, Merique, Kryah, Shock-
ley, Kelley, Lundquest, Nicklas, Petey, Togg-
weiler, Telep, Useted, Socol, Skarwat and
Uberman. These transfers were marked by
the assignment of a new Dental officer. First
Lieutenant Albert W. Farley.
Then began the famous battle of steam
pipes, ending, to our joy (?) July 16, 1918.
What wonderful, terrible days! How we hated
and cherished them! Electric lights and steam
heat; water hot, cold or indifferent. Show-
ers, inside, if you please. Passes twice a week
with Wednesday and Saturday afternoons off
duty as well as Sunday. Commissary and can-
teen near at hand. Real homelike feeds at
Battle Creek with now and then a short leave
to skip home. How terrible the hardships of
those days compared with the sunshine of
France! Compared with the all hours out-
Capt. I^inton C. McAfee
door "shower" of the A. E. F. and the invisible
candle gleam of the front. This was the quiet
battle but one not soon to be forgotten.
Our time from this period until our depar-
ture from the camp was a mixture of our reg-
ular medical duties such as care of the sick,
sanitary inspections, physical examinations,
etc., together with various periods of intensive
— 165 —
Medical Oetacliiuent — Taken at Camp Mills
school studies. These included hygiene, sani-
tation, first aid, anatomy, physiology, phar-
macy, therapeutics and dietetics. When the
weather permitted these classes were inter-
spersed with outdoor instructions such as foot
drill, litter drill and field maneuvers.
Just before Christmas, 1917, the organiza-
tion received a valuable addition in the person
of Alfred H. Lov^fther who ^vas a graduate
dentist. At this time orders from division
headquarters to the effect that all men possible
would be given a few days of the holidays at
home was hailed with joy. Most of the men
of the Medical Detachment enjoyed the con-
tent of this order but a few were not so for-
tunate, having homes at such a distance that
the time allowed was not sufficient. Christ-
mas and New^ Years passed and the usual rou-
tine was again in progress but there
was lingering in the minds of all a
pleasant memory of our Christmas
dinner (for we had a real feed in
camp, too) intermingled with the
novelty of abundant presents, to-
gether with candy (and toothaches)
furnished by the Red Cross and
other patriotic societies.
The first two months of the New Year saw
quite a few changes in our detachment. The
first was the promotion of Captain James J.
Haviland to Major. Then First Lieutenant
Albert W. Farley, Dental Corps, was trans-
ferred. Following this Lance Corporal Finley
L. Scott was promoted to Sergeant, Medical
Department and Corporal Charles W. Adkis-
son was sent to the general hospital. Fort Bay-
ard, N. Mex. Next, First Lieutenant Clarence
P. Landgrebe and First Lieutenant Cornelius
Locke were promoted to Captain, D. C, and
Captain Locke immediately transferred to the
Canal Zone. At the same time Sergeant Mil-
ton F. Wetzel was promoted to Sergeant, First
Class, Medical Department.
The next three months were spent mostly
in school. Besides our regular detachment
school, composed of subjects involving our
medical duties, w^e had gas school, packers'
school, physical training school and officers'
school. School days did not seem half as bad
as they sounded, especially when the snow was
several feet deep and the mercury cramped
itself around zero. As it gradually grew
warmer with the coming of spring, outdoor
activities seemed to predominate and we once
more heard the shouted commands of litters
left, right by four, on right into line, fall in
with shovel and rake, etc., together w^ith ath-
letic games and contests to liven the scene.
Mounted reviews also seemed to gain favor
and accordingly mounted drill was given both
as work and for pleasure. But the pleasure
was not grooming.
May opened w^ith the promotion
of First Lieutenant William A. Cope-
land to Captain and ended with the
assignment of Private Sam H.
Voight, a pharmacist, to our detach-
ment. June was much more excit-
ing and witnessed a preparation for
overseas travel both by materiel and
personnel additions. During the first ten
days, we received the addition of Privates
Lewis Ives, Lewis Hoover, George R. Loree,
William Pockley and Sergeant Clarence E.
Netting. Following this Lewis Ives was
transferred and Private Esmond G. Kilbourn,
a pharmacist, was assigned in his place. Al-
fred H. Lowther was at this time commissioned
First Lieutenant in the Dental Corps and or-
dered to report to the Commanding General,
Port of Embarkation, Hoboken, N. J. To give
the Dental Department their full quota of per-
sonnel, First Lieutenants Clarence Mingis and
Merle Stark, together with Privates Elliel, A.
Waara and Benjamin Knoppow, as assistants,
were assigned. The last few days of June
found Privates Lawrence S. Hopper, William
— 166
Nicol, Richard Roberts, Joseph D. Smith, Sam-
uel C. Thom and John H. Turner, all from
Detroit, as members of our organization.
July besides giving us two more men. Pri-
vates Roy E. Matteson and William M. Taylor,
gave us a mass of combat equipment, a multi-
tude of inspections and a memory of our last
days at Custer. Every article of equipment
was checked and double checked, old garri-
son equipage was turned in and new field fur-
nishings were given instead. A complete quar-
antine of the camp was established; the papers
said measles but we thought different and the
constant sound of hammer and saw and the
steadily growng pile of boxes and crates
marked via N. Y., together with the fastly-
hlling sidings with empty passenger coaches,
intimated that our guess was not far wrong.
July 16, 1918, found us on our way. We
passed through Detroit, crossed over, or rather
under, into Windsor and up the Canadian side
to Buffalo and thence to New York. We then
crossed over the river to Long Island by ferry
boat and late in the evening of July 1 7 we
arrived at Camp Mills. Camp Mills was a
city of tents. We thought the sand storms at
Camp Custer were bad enough, but the dust
storms here were even worse. Then came some
more inspections. For a v^rhile it looked as if
there was a race between take away, turn in,
re-draw and re-issue. Supply officers and sup-
ply sergeants seemed to revel in their satisfac-
tion of big business. But at last, with the call-
ing in of the old favorite service hat and the
issue of the newly regulated overseas cap and
spiral putties, the equipment and supply situa-
tion was again settled. Some fine looking regi-
ment we had the following morning. It usually
takes about three weeks to learn how to wrap
a spiral puttie and at least one week to mas-
ter the intricate balance of the overseas cap.
So you can imagine how we looked with only
one night's practice.
Daily physical inspections of the regiment
were made so the medics were not without
work. The open system of baths and open
pits for waste w^ater made sanitary inspections
more necessary and the constant abuse, by
civilians and soldiers, of other outfits of course,
of the baths and wash sheds made a medical
guard a necessity. During the last week at
Camp Mills passes to New York of about 1 2
hours' duration were given about 20 per cent
of the men each dav. Needless to say every-
body made use of them and letters describing
the wonders of Broadway, Fifth Avenue, Wall
Street, Coney Island, etc., were a source of
inspiration to those who received as well as
those who wrote them. But we were all anxious
for the next more and we did not have long
to wait.
On July 30th, 1918, the regiment embarked
for overseas and sailed the following morning.
The ship was a New Zealand transport and
was called the Maunganui. Excitement was
high until we struck some heavy seas and then
hope ebbed. There was no lack of food.
Everybody seemed to be giving up their lunch,
but order soon presided and the rest of the
journey was spent in fine weather. Even
though it was summer it was quite cool. for we
traveled the northern route. Eleven days after
we left Hoboken we arrived at Liverpool, via
the northern coast of Ireland. We disem-
barked and the same day took a train for
Southampton where we arrived during the
night. English trains seemed small and the
apartment car a joke compared to our Pull-
Medical Detachment Billets — Font-a-ISousson
mans but they sure could travel. Near South-
ampton was an English rest camp where w^e
spent the night. The following afternoon we
left Southampton for Le Havre on the Har-
vard, an American boat w^ith American crew.
We disembarked at Le Havre the next morn-
ing. Near Le Havre was another rest camp
and there we hiked with full pack. We knew
it was a large hill and a long grind but we
thought it vy^as the Rocky Mountains by the
time we were half way up. We arrived. It
would be vsrell to define rest camp so as not to
confuse it with vacation. A rest camp is a
bunkless locality where you march between 5
and 10 miles to get two cups of "wash," blind
robin, cheese and war bread, sleep over night
on the soft side of a board and then duplicate
the hike the next day. The next day we hiked
to a railroad station and embarked a la box
car for Messac, a small town in France. This
was our first attempt at this mode of travel.
167 —
Like any other habit we could not relish the
peculiar sensations at first but after a few
trials we all became quite acclimatized to them
and would now much sooner ride than walk.
We remained at Messac about a week, when
we started on a hike of thirty-two kilometers
(which was accomplished in two days) to Camp
Coetquidan, an artillery training camp. This
camp was said to have been used by Napoleon
and certainly gave evidence of its antiquity.
But hopes and prices soared everywhere w^e
went, as each move meant one step nearer to
active combat and one less chance for the mer-
cantile population. Camp Hospital No. 1 5 w^as
located at this place and a detail of helpers was
soon requisitioned from our organization. Here
they helped with all manner of cases from
acute diseases to convalescents from the front.
The detail remained here until the brigade had
finished their training and was ready to pro-
ceed to the front. With their leaving came a
letter of thanks from the hospital officials stat-
ing that "our" men were the best that they
ever had as helpers and, of course, we mod-
estly admitted it, feeling that we were the only
ones that he had ever told this to. At this
time. First Lieutenant Clarence Mingis and
First Lieutenant Merle Stark, of the Dental
Corps, and Elliel A. Waara and Benjamin
Knoppow^, dental assistants, were transferred
Capt. Clarence Iiandgrelie
to the 4th Depot Division, leaving us w^ith one
Dental officer and assistant, the amount allot-
ted by organization tables. The latter part of
October found us leaving the ancient camp en
route for the front.
Our detachment was divided into three parts
from this time until the armistice was signed.
We detrained and went into billets near Rimau-
court. The headquarters section was located
at Orquevaux, the first battalion at Manois and
the second battalion at Humberville. We re-
mained here a few days and then proceeded
to Domgermain, near Toul, where an advance
ordnance dump was located, and turned in all
surplus equipment. From this place we pro-
ceeded on foot to the active front via Toul,
Lagney and Essey. The night before the bat-
talions v^rent into firing positions we stopped
in the Bois de Mort Mare, arriving there just
before midnight. The woods were dark and a
Iileut. Hamilton
light rain was falling but invisibility was neces-
sary, so by morning all animals, wagons, guns,
etc., were well hidden beneath the trees or
covered with brush. The following night the
regiment went into position. Regimental head-
quarters w^ere established at Bouillionville, the
first battalion near Thiaucourt and the second
battalion near Beney, the Medical personnel
for the above-named units establishing sta-
tions at the same places. We remained in
these districts until after the armistice. On the
1 3th of November we hiked to Pont-a-Mous-
son on the Moselle River, where we were bil-
leted for several months. Thanksgiving Day
gave us the addition of Sergeant Oswald R.
Carlander and December 7, 1918, Major
James J. Haviland was transferred to the
Casual Officers' Depot at Blois. Captain Wil-
liam A. Copeland was then the commanding
officer of the Medical Detachment and Cap-
tain Linton C. McAfee was assigned December
12, 1918, to take his place as Surgeon, 1st
Battalion, 329th Field Artillery. The remain-
der of our time at Pont-a-Mousson until the
first week of February, 1919, was passed in
rest and training.
Dental Department
In personnel the Dental Department was the
smallest individual unit in the regiment. The
number of its members fluctuated according to
the demand and treatment. It became so
small that at times, especially in travel, it was
swallowed up and forgotten, but always when
a stop was made it came to life and was ready
to take care of any toothaches that may have
developed in the trip.
— 168 —
When the regiment was organized Captain
Clarence Paul Landgrebe was summoned to
duty as head of the Dental Department. Dur-
ing the first few weeks when examining recruits
was the business of the hour, he was assisted
by an added personnel of one officer and two
enlisted men. After the first two big drafts
he was left alone to handle the department
through the w^inter.
The main duty of the Dental Department
seemed to be treating men preparatory to their
transfer to some other regiment, until only a
few weeks before w^e sailed for France. As
soon as a good bunch of men were broken in
they were taken aw^ay from us and sent to
some other camp and all there had to have
good teeth before they could be transferred.
So it was the Doc's labor lost until we got the
last draft. With a trip to the fighting line im-
minent the department was again increased,
this time by two commissioned officers and two
enlisted men. No change took place in the
personnel after that, until we were ready to go
into action.
At Camp Coetquidan transfers were ordered
that left Captain Landgrebe and Private
alone to take care of the regiment's teeth.
Until we reached Le Mans there were no fur-
ther changes, but here w^e lost the Dental De-
partment altogether.
On the transport and at every single stop
of twenty-four hours or more there was a den-
tist's office opened up. Sometimes it was by
necessity a crude affair, as at Messac, when
the office w^as of the portable type and could
go into action anywhere a tooth ached. At
one stage of the game the portable chair broke
down and a big fallen log was used instead, the
patient lying down full length while being
treated. The task of pulling a tooth required
only a pair of forceps and a little antiseptic
sometimes.
While the batteries were preparing their po-
sitions at front, making ready to enter the bat-
tle in earnest, the Dental Department was on
the job converting an old German dugout into
a sanitary dentist's office. Conveniences were
none too many and treatment was given under
difficulty, but in a way a record was established
because here the Dental Department began to
enlarge its field of operation.
A line-up of soldiers at a dentist's office
would nearly approach the impossible to con-
ceive but that did actually happen at the front.
One night a chap from the trenches came back
to the battery positions and asked for a den-
tist, explaining that he had been suffering
greatly with a toothache. He was directed to
our dental infirmary and was treated by Cap-
tain Landgrebe. The next night as soon as
darkness fell the command halt was heard out-
side the dental dugout. The doughboys,
guided by their companion who had visited us
the night before, had come in force to see the
dentist. They were all treated but the next
morning the department explained that a shell
had blown down their "Dental Infirmary" sign
during the night.
The expansion policy was continued after
the armistice also. We had moved into Pont-
a-Mousson and an office had been established.
French troopers who belonged to outfits not so
fortunate as ours in having a Dental Depart-
ment, were never turned down when they
needed treatment. Russian soldiers away from
their organization were also treated and even
the German prisoners were taken care of.
When the civilian population came back to
Pont-a-Mousson they failed to bring their den-
tist with them and it was no uncommon affair
for them to drop in on Captain Landgrebe.
Records of the department show that ap-
proximately three hundred cases from the regi-
ment were treated each month. After the first
round of extractions back in Custer that form
of operation was not common.
The Dental Department came through the
whole affair with only one serious accident.
We will enter that under the head of "Lost
in Action." The Captain had just availed him-
self of a new supply of choice towels when the
armistice was signed. In moving from the po-
sitions to Pont-a-Mousson some one coming
into contact with our baggage train evidently
thought that towels were not necessary artillery
equipment. The worst part of it was that on
such short notice and if the Medical Depart-
ment proper hadn't opened up its heart and
towel supply we might have seen an order like
this: "All men reporting to the Dental In-
firmary for treatment \nl\ be equipped with a
clean towel." And who ever heard of a sup-
ply sergeant that had towels on hand?
169
THE BAND
With the transfer of Sergeant Olin R. Kel-
sey from the 1 8th Field Artillery, Fort Bliss,
Texas, to the newly organized 329th Field
Artillery, we have the beginning of the band.
Like all new organizations the band had its
many troubles. On September 19, 1917, Lewis
W. Arnold, and on September 22, 1917, Doug-
las J. Merwin were assigned to the regiment.
They, with Sergeant Kelsey, formed the first
bugle corps of the regiment, playing guard-
mounts and other military formations, using
Sergeant Kelsey's ow^n compositions. They
found many duties as all the calls of the day
were blown by them. Later we will find that
this was the nucleus of the band. Immediately
the sergeant diligently set to work hunting
through the personnel of the regiment for
musicians. His efforts w^ere quite successful as
he found to his surprise about 70 men claiming
to be musicians. A day w^as set early in Octo-
ber, and the men were given try-outs on their
respective instruments. From this number
Sergeant Kelsey chose the following men to be
transferred to the Band Section, Headquarters
Company:
Battery C
Allen R. Walsh
Headquarters Co.
Emil M. Kossel
Douglas J. Merwin ^^X? M. Double
Battery A Battery F
Lewis W. Arnold „ Sherman Hanecki
^ , . ivr o Battery L
Calvin W. btewart n ■ t- n
Liuiatino Cerasi
Edward Theiss Burr A. Doten
Myron Horowitz Joseph Kwiatek
It was a rainy, muddy and blustery day that
the instruments were drawn and the first re-
hearsal held. Things went well considering
the fact that it was the first time these men
played together. It was not long before this
band was massed with the bands at Camp
Custer for the purpose of furnishing music at
the formal dedication of the camp. The time
came now when it was necessary to expand the
camp.
This was done very rapidly and the regi-
ment was moved to the west end of the can-
tonment and rehearsals were held in the bar-
racks occupied by the Supply Company. Soon
Building 1283 was completed and occupied by
Headquarters Company. This was then to be
the home of the band throughout the regi-
ment's stay in Camp Custer. November 7,
1917, marks the band's coming into existence
officially. On that date the musicians of the
regiment were transferred to the band and
were quartered with Headquarters Company.
It was at this time that the bugle corps was
being organized in the regiment to furnish field
music for artillery formations. The bandsmen
were now relieved from this former duty.
Promotions were necessary to carry on the
band duties in a military manner and the fol-
lowing promotions were made: Douglas J.
Merwin, Assistant Band Leader; Lewis W. Ar-
old. Sergeant Bugler; Edward Theiss, Band
Sergeant; Calvin W. Stewart, Band Corporal;
Joseph Kwiatek, Musician First Class. In the
month of November a divisional revievsr was
held on the division parade grounds. The
bands of the 1 60th Field Artillery Brigade were
massed for this review^. The troops were re-
viewed by Major-General Joseph P. Dickman,
then in command of the 85 th Division. A sim-
ilar review was held on the same parade ground
by General Parker. The regiment had by this
time increased in personnel so each regiment
was reviewed as a unit. Here a great calamity
befell the band as it w^as freezing weather —
the instruments froze up and the band was un-
able to play the march as the general rode the
line. Here the band gained fame when Gen-
eral Parker said "Start up your band!"
As time passed the personnel of the band in-
creased and Walter C. Rath, violinist, was
transferred to the band from Supply Company.
It v^ras just a short time previous to the above-
mentioned increase that we lost our Band Ser-
geant, Edward Theiss, who was given a dis-
charge from the army because of ill health. He
arrived at home in time to spend a happy New
Year with a permanent furlough in his pos-
session. The band continued with its duties,
now and then playing at the Y. M. C. A. huts
for entertainments. Between quarantines for
various diseases the band succeeded in increas-
ing its roster, Claude T. Doran, Alfred Hig-
gins and John Stoyack were transferred into
the organization. On March 5 th, just escaping
a quarantine, part of the band toured the state
of Michigan with other picked members of the
division bands and played many concerts un-
der the direction of Bohumir Kryll. This trip
was a grand success and the cities of Lansing,
Bay City, Saginaw, Port Huron, Detroit, Grand
Rapids, Kalamazoo and Battle Creek royally
entertained this grand band on this tour.
Spring was soon on its way and new duties
were again in store; playing for Liberty Loan
drives at Detroit, Albion and smaller towns
in Michigan. At this time the band personnnel
was increased when Don L. McCord, Stanley
Madjeski, Ivan Overholt, Donald Thorbrun
and Walter A. Wojciekouski were transferred
to the band. In a short time we added Burtel
Straight and Paul Wingate. The city of Battle
Creek now asked for bands from Camp Custer
to furnish music for their Liberty Loan drives.
The bands of the 1 60th Depot Brigade and
the 329th Field Artillery were chosen. They
were shown a fine time in Battle Creek. In
the latter part of May, Ralph H. Parsons was
added as a new member.
— 170
Instruments and All
Burtel Straight went to Officers" Training
School and now the band was left with but one
trombone. Soon Erich M. Kohls and Delvin
J. Hendricks joined. The month of June was
at hand and the regiment was making many
preparations for the new draft and prepara-
tions for the movement overseas. John Skal-
ski was transferred to the organization from
the I 60th Depot Brigade and William Evans
from Battery B. June 27th the band increased
in proportion to the draft and the following
men came to the 329th: Wilbur Baker, Joseph
Costello, Norman C. Ford, Joseph Goleno,
Nickolas Grusner, Louis Gualdoni, Benjamin
F. Miller, Samuel Pirie, Fonfilio Salcilio, Henry
M. Sutherland, Paul G. Vaught and Albert W.
Wenz.
For the two following weeks these men w^ere
very busy with rehearsals, attempts to get new
uniforms and "Squads east and west." On
July 4th the band played at Galesburg and
enjoyed a fine entertainment from the people
of that town. That was the final appearance
of the band away from Camp Custer before
leaving for overseas. On the morning of July
1 6th the band left with the regiment, going to
Camp Mills, L. I., N. Y. Soon after reaching
Camp Mills Sergeant Kelsey was promoted to
the grade of lieutenant.
July 30th, again taking trains for New York
city, the band went to the docks where a boat
awaited. The regiment marched aboard the
Maunganui about 4:30 p. m. At I I :00 a. m.,
July 3 1 St, this boat with a convoy steamed
from New York harbor, bidding the Statue of
Liberty farewell for how long no one knew.
August 2 7th the regiment reached Camp
Coetquidan, near Guer, where much work was
in store for it. Here the band played many
concerts and found before it the solemn duty
of many military funerals. It was there that
the battle of Vinegar Hill was fought. Many
of the fellows sustained minor injuries but soon
were back on duty again. Corporal Hendricks
was taken sick with the Spanish "flu," then so
prevalent, and was sent to the hospital.
During the stay at Coetquidan members of
the band formed an orchestra. They played
several programs at different places in the
camp and also furnished entertainment at the
dinner given in honor of Colonel Campbell by
the officers of the 329th regiment. In all, the
329th Feld Artillery orchestra was well known
as a good entertainer. The following is the
instrumentation: Solo, violin. Sergeant Skal-
ski; 1st violin, Al W. Wenz; 2nd violin, S.
Hanechi; viola, Sergeant Rath; bass, Joseph
Kwiatek; oboe, cornets. Sergeant Merwin, Ser-
geant McCord; trombone, Allen W. Walsh;
baritone, saxaphone, Panfilio Salulo; piano,
William Evans; drums and traps, C. W.
Stewart.
There were few musical duties from the de-
parture from Coetquidan till the time when the
war would cease. The band played its last
concert in the open air at Orquevaux before
starting for the front. The next journey was
to Domgermain by train. This ended the
musical duties for the band as the war zone
had been reached. November 1 st the orches-
tra instruments were packed and left at Lagney
when the regiment left at 4:00 p. m.
The band being a non-combatant unit wis
not without work to do. The great traffic
through the town left the streets in a very poor
condition. Were they in need of cleaning?
The band was ready to do it. Also there was
guard duty and even band men sometimes
know their general orders. Many other de-
tails were done by the band while stationed at
Bouillionville, but to spare time, space and feel-
ing they are not mentioned here. November
1 I th came and with it the cessation of hostili-
ties. The band of the 329th onlv stood
around, or at least those on K. P., and listened
to the music of the 55th Infantry band who
were stationed in the same town. Music never
sounded so sw^eet as then, when the "Star
Snangled Banner" pealed forth, in the feeling
of freedom and victory. Then as the band
marched down the street to the powerful
swing of the "Stars and Stripes Forever" a
great cVieer from each American echoed
through the town and everything was quiet.
That was the spirit of victory as it came to
those Americans at Bouillionville.
Two days later the regiment marched to
Pont-a-Mousson, arriving there at 5:00 p. m.,
November 13, 1918. Once more the band
took up the duties, playing many concerts and
furnishing music for many entertainments.
The band was very unfortunate in losing Geo.
— 171 —
Cue who was sent to the hospital at Toul.
Mere Corporal Hendricks returned to the or-
ganization from a casual replacement camp.
Thanksgiving passed and soon Christmas
came. Christmas in Pont-a-Mousson was a
merry time for the organization. The orches-
tra furnished music for the entertainment,
which was quite all that could be expected at
such a place and at such a time. Beer, barrels
of confetti, games, poems and presents of all
kinds were the merry makers of the evening.
New Years came and with it everyone was
wondering when the regiment would leave for
the good old U. S. A. January 1 0th the band
left Pont-a-Mousson for Villerupt. The cities
of Metz, Diedenhafen, Luxembourg and Esch
Alzette were visited.
At Villerupt they were shown a royal time
and their playing was highly commended. A
Week later they returned to Pont-a-Mousson
to take up their regular duties once more. The
saddest work of the band was at the funeral
service of their comrade Harry Koppert.
Carried German MacHine Gun All
tHe Way Home In His R.0II
When it came to collecting, camouflaging and transporting the
goods — Deutschland to Brest to Home — we had one man in the 329th
who could go against the entire A. E. F. and win hands down, "under
wraps."
Big Smith, of Battery C, is the man. And if any Buddy in the
A. E. F., or the world, wants to try to equal his achievement, let him
get busy tout suite or forever hold his peace. Single-handed and en-
tirely on his own, the Big Indian from "C" Battery carried a complete
(and entirely serviceable) German machine gun all the way home in
his roll. Can you beat it? We ask you — fat, lean or heavyweight —
weren't those blankety-blank packs heavy enough for the most of us
without a young arsenal inside?
Some of the boys who knew Smitty noticed the length of his roll
one day, during the "travel-log" over France, and inquired facetiously,
"Whatcha got there, Smitty? A hunk of the old Roman viaduct, or
just the village of Messac?"
"Neither," grunted the king of souvenir scroungers, "just a little old
Boche machine gun." And we verified that fact. We saw the "type-
writer" taken down, in France, and know for a fact that he startled
his home town natives by setting the gun up at the family reunion.
Proved it would still operate, too.
How did he get the gun by the inspection hounds? Hanged if we
know — unless he swallowed it passing through the double-o shed.
172 —
./athletes
Organization teams were formed and equip- Battery A before they were organized and had
ped at Custer. The schedule was made up at been able to get a workout together, conse-
divisional headquarters. The 329th aggrega- quently Swayne was hit pretty hard for the
tion was coached and managed by Captain first few innings but tightened up and held
Moore and Lieutenant Casey. Sergeant Hy- them to a final score of 1 0 to 9. Later they
don, of Battery A, was captain. Twelve games defeated Battery D by a score of I 0 to 9 and
were played with seven resulting in our favor. had to play eleven innings to do it. This was
The line-up was as follows: a fine game from start to finish. Their last
Player Battery Position opponents were the uniformed team from
DTI J .. T J 1 a J Headquarters Company which had defeated
oran Headquarters Ind and 3rd n r .i lU ^ ,.l . u
D . • 1 u J .. D-. L 3" or the other teams m the regiment. Here
bostwick Headquarters Pitcher • c u j j • ^l i
M.i, Lj J .. IT- ij again owayne was walloped during the early
lUer Headquarters hield • • j .. ^ j t .. n ■. ^l j
J A. Sk f f innings and the score stood o to U at the end
III i p. *; of the fifth. Harvey set his jaws and spit on
rri.i A r>-i.r-ii ^^^ ball at the beginning of the sixth and from
Fraleigh A Right Field .i ou ^.uuj ,. c
■v/.i ,-. /^,i then on b began to show Headquarters a few
Voytko C Catcher ■ ^ c »i. o ,.• j ..u
c II- r-\ -ri • 1 points or the game, owayne retired them, one,
buUivan D Third f m j d u j ff i ^u j -^u
i^ , 1 . r^ o 1 two, three, and b marched oft at the end ■with
K.urkowski U Second ■ . c i n .. a
El r, r^ r-- 1 1 o ^ 1 a victory or U to o.
rkfitz D Field & Catch. ^ ;p ;» »
Carpenter D Field i i i • i , r. »»
■^3j.(] V Third brigade track meet at ront-a-Mous-
Von Dette E Pitcher ^°"' f'^^ice. Battery B came across with the
Danowski E Utilitv goods and w^on the majority of points for the
Carney F Field 329th. The 330th won the meet easily but B
Sprague F Field pulled enough points to put the 329th in sec-
Rennv F Field °'^'^ place. The 328th made a poor showing.
The men who won points were Zoltowski, third
Games and Results in t^e shot put; Barrett, second in the 100
Score meter dash; Sharrick, second in 220 meter
Opponents Opp. 329th dash; McKee, fourth in the high jump, and
339th Infantry 5 4 Barrett, second in the broad jump. Out of a
328th Field Artillery 3 5 total of thirteen points won by the regiment,
328th Field Artillery 5 3 ^ gets credit for ten, the other three going to
330th Field Artillery' ...'.'.'.'.'.'. 7 12 Battery A.
330th Field Artillery 11 0 * * * .
337th Infantry 4 7 Joseph Cyrill Hubacek, who is one of the
337th Infantry 3 8 members of Battery E, was commonly known
338th Infantry 10 9 'n the bowling world as "300 Joe." He won
3 1 0th Ammunition Train 3 1 this soubriquet by making five perfect scores,
3 1 0th Supply Train 1 4 in the course of a few years. In addition to
3 I 0th Supply Train 2 7 this, he is the only bowler who has made two
Hayes Wheel Co. (10 innings) . . I 2 "300" scores in one day. He also holds the
\T/L-i /^ n record of 822 pins for three consecutive games.
While at Custer Battery B produced the best Joe started bowling in 1906 in Paradise
team m the regiment and trimmed Headquar- Park, Chicago, in a hall owned and operated
ters Company, the supposed-to-be champions, by his father. The sport of bowling seemed
by a score of 10 to 6. Their line-up was as to have come natural to him and it was not
follows: Zoltowski, c; Swayne-Barrett. p; long before he was one of the best bowlers
Seefeld, 1 st ; Armstrong, 2nd; Reiger, ss; in the Windy City. Most of Joe's early bowl-
Gloetzner, 3rd; Kogelshatz, If; Barrett, cf ; and ing was done when wooden balls were in style
Laetz, rf. Their first game was played with but Joe says that the bowling game has its
— 173 —
strategy as well as the army and that in 1914
he sprung a mysterious ball on the Chicago
bowlers, in Mussey's hall. Due to its unusual
performance it was afterwards called the "do-
do ball." This mysterious ball was made of
wood with a heavy plug in it. It had about
the same effect on the ten pins, in Mussey's
alley, as a German 77 has on the tile roof of
a French chateau. He made his first "300"
score with this ball.
Since 1914 Joe has participated in various
bowling tournaments in the United States and
has always been able to down enough pins to
keep him among the leaders. He has met the
big bowlers in the game, among these being
"Jimmie Smith," the world's champion bowler,
and Count Gengler, the most artistic bowler.
The latter is from Luxembourg.
In addition to the numerous souvenirs that
Joe collected while sojourning with the A. E.
F. in France, he claims to have a collection
in the States, valued in the neighborhood of a
thousand dollars, which he won in twenty-four
hour endurance and individual bowling
matches. Previous to his army career, Joe w^as
employed as bowling instructor at the Detroit
Athletic Club. Joe still thinks he is good and
is willing to take on any good bowlers for
money, marbles or chalk. He can be reached
at the D. A. C, Detroit, Michigan.
Regimental Color Sergeant L. A. Charbneau
can boast that he is as good a fistic artist as
ever fell over the ropes. He has fought in
all parts of the globe and managed to drag
home three belts. He enlisted in the Navy in
1908 in order to be in some light employment
where he could recuperate his health. While
there he practiced pugilistic maneuvers and
knocked out eight comers in the service.
He then took on "Rufe" Turner, who was
in the public eyes, and was resting on the mat
at the end of the fourth round. This made
Sarge take notice and renew his energies. On
New Year's eve, 1911, he put away Watkins,
in nine rounds, for the championship of the
Pacific Fleet. Watkins was from the "Colo-
rado" and Charbneau from the "West Vir-
ginia." This was followed by two, score minor
victories, when he considered himself in shape
to meet Cooley for the championship of the
Asiatic Station. On June 7, 1912, they fought
at Manila and Charbneau ■won in the fourth
round of a six-round scheduled bout.
A few months later Sarge knocked out Chief
Lewis at Manila in the sixth round of a match
scheduled for fifteen, copping the middle-
weight championship of the Orient. Typhoid
fever laid him up shortly after this and when
he again met Lewis he had only been out of
bed two weeks. As a result Lewis knocked
him down fourteen times in twelve rounds.
Charbneau tried to stay fifteen for the purse
but couldn't stand the "gaff." He then reverted
to vaudeville, traveling with Bob Fitzsimmons
and Frank Moran. His reputation kept him
from engaging very actively in regimental box-
ing, except in exhibition work.
Saddler Thomas Knight, "A," was a jockey
for five years, '07-' 12, and the owner of
"Prosper, " the unbeaten tw^o-year-old at New
Orleans. He also played football with Dixon
College, Dixon, Illinois.
Corporal John Lagron, "A," University of
Detroit baseball, football and basket ball class
teams, '10. Played with the "Heralds" for
four years, the champions of Indiana, football,
' 1 1 -• 1 2-' 1 3. Coached the "Records" ' 1 5-' I 6-
' 1 7. They were the junior champions of De-
troit in '15-' 16.
Sergeant Leo Von Dette played baseball
with the regimental team in Custer. Was their
star pitcher. Also played ball with Arthur
Hill High and basket ball with the Saginaw
Athletic Club. Von is a regular 6-foot athlete.
Also was on the regimental basket ball team.
Hails from M. A. C.
Private Carl S. Huddlestone played base-
ball on the regimental team in Custer. He is
an all-round athlete of stocky build. Also
played on the regimental basket ball. Played
baseball with Mancelonia High School and
basket ball and football with the "Y" team at
Mancelonia.
Sergeant Daniel F. Sheedy, "A," played on
the championship soccer team of Ireland. He
won the shot put in the regimental field meet.
Bugler Oliver A. Thorpe spent some time
on the Pacific coast as an amateur lightweight
boxer.
Mechanic Erick O. Horde, "A," has an-
nexed several prizes for wrestling, hockey and
rifle shooting.
Corporal Thomas Fraleigh, "A," was a
member of the Port Huron baseball team in
the Huron County League.
Being handicapped by the burdens of In-
strument Sergeant in Battery D and also being
a modest sort of a chap, for a sergeant, Rell A.
174
Ambrose didn't air his capabilities as an athlete
very much and there may be a great many
men in the regiment and even some in his own
battery who do not know that as a wrestler
Rell was a bear.
Of couse, while attending a small down-
state high school he was showered with more
than his share of glory and then when he went
to Ypsi Normal in ' 1 4 and ' 1 5 he won more
than a wife along with what educational pro-
paganda penetrated, which was extremely
creditable in itself. It was as a quarterback
he learned how to "Snap into it" and as a
pitcher to "Pass the buck." When it came to
wrestling he simply had the college off its feet.
He made his first big hit by flooring the Polish
wonder at Albion in 22 minutes.
After finishing college in the summer of ' 1 5
he entered the professional field and stayed
on the mat with Joe Smith at Coldwater for
one hour without a decision. He was next
booked with London who had the odds his
way to throw the "College Boy" two times in
an hour. Little Rell had him face up playing
the part of a cushion at the end of eighteen
minutes. After many other successes his career
was ended when the draft blew his way.
The University of Wisconsin is represented
in Battery F by Ralph Youngren who took
a prominent part in inter-class and frat ath-
letics. We are also indebted to him for some
good cartoons.
Mike Scavone, the blonde pugilist, was
vaunted by Battery C as one of the best ever.
He easily put away Sergeant Wortkow of his
own battery and Sergeant Meuer of "E" while
at Custer. He brought the reputation of win-
ning two out of three professional bouts at
Windsor when he came to the army.
He also holds several medals, won at Belle
Isle, w^hile representing the Detroit "Y" as a
swimmer and long distance runner. Four miles
was his favorite distance for running and ten
miles for swimming. He has on several occa-
sions swum around Belle Isle.
No organization is complete without its
Hoosiers. Sergeant M. F. Wetzel of the Medical
Detachment, while attending Weidner College,
'15-' 17, combined his lyrics with three years
of basket ball, three years of track, specializing
in the high jump and 220-yard dash, and two
years of football.
Sergeant Herbert W. Butler was the first
Corporal and the first Sergeant made in Battery
D. He handled the stables, the horses and the
police with equal vigor and with habitual
strong-arm methods. He does not claim to be
a professional boxer although he did amateur
and exhibition boxing for ten years. He strips
at 185 pounds and is a Canadian.
He met Mike Twin Sullivan of the 76th
Army at Buffalo in 1911 under the auspices of
the Argonaut Rowing Club of Toronto and
boxed six rounds to a draw decision. He also
encountered Patty Lavin, the welterweight
champion, at Buffalo, with the same result.
Butler was a member of the Simcoe hockey
team which won the Ontario Hockey Associa-
tion championship in 1906. He also took ac-
tive part in the activities of the Toronto Row-
ing Club. The brigade was represented by
him at the field day last April.
Flint, Michigan, has always been noted as
a rendezvous for athletes and the well-known
druggist, Kilbourn, of the Medical Detachment,
was no exception. With rare popularity wher-
ever he went Glen made many fast friends
of the baseball fans by picking up the bound-
ing pill at short, and in the Army by passing
them out at the infirmary. He played with the
Flint aggregation in the Michigan State League
and with the Buick nine. He also toured with
the notorious Tom Stephens' sphere pounders,
playing independent ball for Otsego, backed
by a million dollars and as many enthusiastic
fans.
The University of Michigan sent a man to
our Medical Detachment by the name of W.
N. Taylor, as elegantly proportioned a youth
as ever was that fabulous Leander of Helles-
pont, and no mean athlete, having played two
years of inter-class football, filling the posi-
tion of right half, at which position he made
a reputation while playing with Flint High.
One year of basket ball at the University also
helped to put him in shape for Army activi-
ties.
And it might be mentioned in passing that
Taylor was an acting Captain once. He was
appointed by Judge Durant, of the Second Dis-
trict Board at Flint, when the June contingent
were leaving for Custer.
Especially while we were at the front was
Corporal Hulburd, of Battery A, able to use
his athletic proficiency in the fording of roads
and swamps and progressing through the pro-
verbial mud of France with alacrity. While he
was a law student at Valparaiso College he
won decorations for fancy sw^imming and div-
ing. He carried away the medals when the
— 175 —
college met the Gary swimming team and the
Evanston Swimming Club. He spent one sea-
son in vaudeville, meeting with success.
Hulburd was with the 1 63rd Infantry dur-
ing the border trouble and so came to the
Artillery with some military experience.
Lieutenant C. L. Barnum, of Supply Com-
pany, first gained his athletic prowess by play-
ing baseball with a championship high school
team in southern Wisconsin. During the fall
of 1915 he played left field for the Tokyo
Americans while in Japan in the capacity of
English instructor, teaching in the govern-
ment schools. This team met a large number
of the college and professional teams of the
world, including Waseda University of Japan
and the University of Chicago.
Private Morris Rosenberg is one of the "mat
kings" of Battery C. He was transferred to
our regiment at Camp Mills, bringing with him
a string of scalps from Camp Upton. He
wrestled professionally in the east for four
years, his more prominent matches being pulled
off for the Brooklyn "Y" at Brooklyn, which
is his home city. Most of the New Yorkers
with whom he grappled fell easy prey.
As a baseball player Sergeant Lyons, Bat-
tery A, was as good a shortstop as ever "rolled
'em" in a cigar maker's league. He bounded
all over the northwest passing out Flor de
Nispls to the enthusiastic rooters who cheered
the team to a championship. While he was
still "rolling his own" in Springfield, 111., H. S.,
he captained the nine for two years.
Sergeant Lawrence A. Ward. This regi-
mental favorite, proudly ow^ned as the celeb-
rity of Battery D, represented the battery and
the regiment in the fight contests at Custer.
He took the decision from Sergeant Dibble at
Battle Creek in four rounds, among several
other good bouts at the "Y" and the K. C.
Hall.
Ward spent several years with the big boys,
hobnobbing and sparring with Jack Doyle, Joe
Rivers, Johnny Kilbane, Bud Anderson and
Leach Cross. He fought "Coney" Kelly, of
East St. Louis, at the Arabic Athletic Club in
1907 for six rounds with a draw decision. He
was given a decision over "Dummy" Shank,
of St. Louis, in six rounds. He met Young
Corbett at the Mound City Athletic Club of
St. Louis and Lewis at the National Athletic
Club in Denver.
When it comes to pitching, "Bill" Carpenter,
of Battery D, is as good a twirler as ever dis-
puted an umpire. Formerly with the Southern
Michigan League, Carpenter did some excel-
lent work. He pitched on the regimental team
at Custer and played regimental and battery
basket ball. He played several seasons of pro-
fessional ball at Detroit and Chattanooga.
Wall-scaling w^as one of his favorite sports, ac-
quired while in the Army.
Captain Clarence Landgrebe, of Regimental
Dentistry, found that his athletic training stood
him in good stead. For the first time in their
lives a great many men entered a good dental
institution and an enormous amount of -work
had to be done. A large number of Uncle
Sam's soldiers were given numerous treatments.
The Captain, w^hile studying at the Western
Reserve University, Cleveland, participated in
three years of varsity athletics, playing left half
of the gridiron, first base on the diamond, cen-
ter on the basket-ball floor and specializing in
the broad jump and 1 00-yard da,sh in track.
A very interesting wrestling match was called
off on account of "mess" while we were biv-
ouaced at Maure, en route from Messac-Guipry
Over at Berfay, on a h!ll Just outside of the
village, is a cemetery ^vith a reputation. Word
passed around among the hoys that every night
a ghost could be seen prowling about the city
of the dead. Several of the fellows, among
them Myers and Grainger, decided to investigate,
so the party went up after dark and entered the
gates. Sure enough, through the faint moon-
light they saw a ghost rise from its grave and
move slo^vly in their direction. Everyone made
an about face forward double time march, but
the first ones to reach the gate closed it after
them. Red Grainger couldn't stop to open it,
he just made a record high junip over it. Myers
moved over the ground so swiftly that a streak
of sparks from his hob nail shoes was all that
could be distinguished. According to Myers,
''Seein' is believin*,'' so there must be ghosts.
Snaky Long (the ghost) and Curley Thompson,
his guide, got a^vay before the next bunch came
up with German lugers, stones and clubs to
give said ghost a hot reception.
to Camp Coetquidan. Private 1. M. Henry, of
Battery D, attempted to throw Sergeant Am-
brose of the same organization. He did not
know that Rell was a professional and met with
— 176 —
serious impediments. After about twelve min-
utes the mess whistle terminated the match.
Henry was a member of the St. Louis "Y"
and has done considerable amateur wrestling.
He also spent a week in Jacksonville doing
exhibition work in vaudeville.
One of Battery D's machine gunners. Private
Gramas, i-, known from coast to coast in the
circus world as one of the most daring of the
aerial acrobats. For ten years he defied death
with his flying casting act. He opened three
seasons in Milwaukee with Gallmer Bros.' cir-
cus and has been connected with several of the
Colonel Campbell to Bugler OUie Thorpe at
Coetquidian:
Colonel: "Bugler, why didn't you blow 'Boots
and Saddles*?''
Ollie: "Didn't know there was any such
thing, sir."
Colonel: "Why, you ain't fit to be killed."
best carnival companies. Semi-professional
wrestling in Chicago, for the Douglas Center
Athletic Association, was also one of his pleas-
ures. He is a wizard on the baseball diamond
and was enthusiastic in battery athletics. He
went on the mat with Hobbs at the New Year's
entertainment given by his battery and re-
ceived the decision.
Sanilac County, Michigan, sent an athlete to
our Veterinary Department. He was the star
first-sacker for the Brown City High School.
He was also one of the official umpires for the
Private Sliger had the scare of his young life
at the echelon. He had mislaid his gas mask
one evening so when the gas signal was given
he ducked his head under the blankets and
pleaded with his comrades to save his life. He
could smell the gases penetrating his blankets!
HoMT was he to know that it was his imagination
working overtime and that the gas attack failed
to develop ?
McKinley Club of West Detroit. Veterinarian
Joseph E. Sade is a sport fan.
Our jovial Captain, Junius H. Moore, of
Battery A, has caused more than one crowd
of baseball fans to break into spontaneous ap-
plause or convulsive laughter over his spec-
tacular playing or his ever-present corncob
pipe. He played professional ball for three
years, 1901-03, with the Mapleton Athletic
Club of Indianapolis, while attending school
in that city. During 1906-07 he caught in the
Cotton State League.
Battery C Private (butting into conversation
which ^vas on the topic of a color sergeant in
the regiment) : "I never knew we had a coon
sergeant in our regiment."
He was regimental athletic officer at Custer
until he went to Fort Sill, when he w^as suc-
ceeded by Lieutenant Casey. He was also
an athletic director at Fort Sheridan. He is
without a rival the original pep producer and
much of the athletic spirit which developed in
the regiment was due to his efforts.
One of our best know regimental athletes
is Sergeant Hydon, of Battery A. He partici-
pated to a small extent in athletics while a
freshman at the University of Michigan. While
attending high school in Skaneateles, New
York, he played first base for five seasons.
The team held the championship of the cen-
Captain: "Your rank, sir?"
Rookie: "Don't rub it in. Captain! That's
just what the Sergeant told me."
tral New York high school for two of these
seasons. Hydon entered and carried away
his share of the points whenever the regiment
held a track meet. He specialized in the
dashes.
Chester Gurskey, of D, is always ready for
five minutes of pitch and catch or for a regfu-
lar game against any opponents. He comes
from Allentown, Pa., where he played in the
Blue Mountain League for two years. He also
played for Flint one season in the Southern
Michigan League. He can play any position
with credit but prefers third base. It might
be mentioned, too, that Gurskey is quite a
pool "shark." He ran 42 balls in a straight
call shot match in a club tournament, taking
second money.
— 177 —
Entertainment
Battery B, due to the managerial enterprise
of Max Leo Corrigan, was the most active in
entertainment affairs, but the whole regiment
was full of the good old "jazz" and pep when
it came to "knitting up the ravelled sleeve"
of ennui.
One of the brightest spots in the show line
at Custer was the competitive entertainment
put on in the "Y" under Lieutenant Stratton's
auspices. Battery F won and deservedly so ;
and who will ever forget that knockout "latrine
comedy" of Batter C's?
On the boat Corrigan, Thorpe, Hall (well
known as the author of "Don't Let a Slacker
Win My Place in Your Heart") and some
others entertained us in lively fashion and
helped chase away the seasick blues.
At CiJetquidan Battery B produced its min-
strel show for the first time and made a hit
that resounded throughout the A. E. F.
At Pont-a-Mousson, after the Hippodrome
was fixed up, there was a pleasing epidemic of
shows, of all sorts. Never a road show that
hit there, however, that had anything on the
entertainments made and produced within our
own ranks. Here are some of the regimental
shows and performers that made their bow
there, mostly under the title "Caisson Road
Show."
December 14th, 1918, the 329th Band, the
Italian Four, Hill, Hulburd and Eddy in a
musical act, Corrigan & Co. in "The Irish
Court," Dale, Thorpe, Guessler & Evans in
"As You Like It." The 328th Jazz Orches-
tra and the 330th Entertainers appeared on
the same bill.
December 28th the Band was there with
bells on again. DeSmyter tickled 'em with
"12 Minutes at the Piano." Hanna mystified
with his "Magic Number." Pirie & Evans blew
in with "Oboe Solos." Delmar & Co. par-
alyzed 'em with "Launcelot Gobbo," and
Barsook, DeSmyter, Walsh, Medici and Ver-
rast thrilled with "The Eleventh Hour."
December 30th and 31st — Hildreth, Harsch
& Co. administered to our woes with "Pills."
Kobel, Williams & Steinke entertained. The
328th Orchestra again jazzed away our blues,
and Evans, Dale, Hall & Co. made a big hit.
January 2nd and 3rd, 1 9 1 9 — Our Band
again. "Those Two Tumblers," "The Coun-
try Store," White and Chmylinski in "French
Drama" and some Minstrels made an all
around pleasing show.
January 6th and 7th — The 1 15th Engineers
put on a rollicking good show.
Then the big, final blow-out under Corrigan's
direction, "Somewhere in France." Battery B
furnished the company here but all our
popular regimental stars were involved —
Thorpe, Goldberg, Nick Hall, Scanlon, etc.
The show was divided into three elaborate
parts and was sure a large order for a bunch
of buddies to tackle so far from civilization.
It made as big a hit as Ziegfeld's Follies ever
did, however.
While at Pont-a-Mousson we were also en-
tertained by the 349th Artillery Troop and
by the Misses Rubel & Roberts, of New York.
The whole regiment is indebted to men like
Corrigan, Thorpe, Hall, Goldberg, Humphries,
Hulburd, Hill, Eddy, Lieutenant Curtiss and
Chaplain Sorensen for their untiring efforts to
make our time pass more quickly and enjoy-
ably.
— 179 —
PED CROSS
Ever faithful, ever present, wherever American troops are
found, the Red Cross blazons forth as a symbol of cheer, as a
sign of ready succor. It is the emblem of brotherly love;
unselfish, without vanity and with malice toward none. It
has no creed except that of Christianity. It is an inspiration
to men, both able and disabled. It makes death easier and
life happier. It scorns danger and contagion. It works
equally well behind the lines and on the battle fields.
The feminine touch, deftly applied, in the hospitals,
wrought more good than the surgeon's knife. The tributes
of the wounded, the dying and the convalescent, coming from
the soul, testify to the magnificence of the Red Cross.
After the tumult and the shouting of the battle dies the
soldiers are given a little rest, but the Red Cross work con-
tinues. It even becomes more strenuous than ever. The
sights they witness, the help they give, the words of cheer
they speak and the bandages they apply are numberless. They
render medical and surgical assistance and carry the wounded
to their hospitals where sisterly care is administered.
At home or on foreign soil, in cities or in villages, on the
march, or on the train, in the hotels or in shacks and pup
tents, in rest periods or in battle they were with us. Coming
or going they met us more than half way.
— 180
Y>M^C.A
It is hard to tell of the tremendous work being done by the
Y. M. C. A. At Custer the social life of the camp centered about
the "Y" huts. Their canteen service was unexcelled. Y. M. C. A.
canteens were located in every village or city which contained
American troops. We were indebted to the "Y" for countless
lectures, movie shows and entertainments, both at home and while
on foreign service. The many American girls who came to France
to assist in the Y. M. C. A. work were like a connecting link between
us and home. The huts were always crowded with fellows who
were seeking their warmth, good cheer and good fellowship to
banish the dull cares of war.
In Pont-a-Mousson nights would have been very often lonely,
pipes and cigarette cases very often empty, "sweet teeth" very often
unfilled, had it not been for the unflagging industry of the "Y."
Hot chocolate nights, down on the "main rue" and up by the
hippodrome, were regular events we very seldom missed — even
though we grumbled sometimes about the canteen service.
It was a large order — that task of handling Uncle Sam's can-
teen service overseas and on a self-supporting basis — which the
"Y" undertook. But this unselfish organization tackled it cheer-
fully and unflinchingly in the face of unceasing — and very often,
unthinking — criticism. They made mistakes, but no organization
could have helped from making them under the circumstances
and no man can measure the good they did, the countless services
they rendered without thought of reward. This history of the
329th Field Artillery would not be complete without the statement
that our sincere gratitude and our best wishes go on with the "Y."
181 —
Salvation
AKMY
Defying shot and shell through the darkness
of the night and the uncertainties of the day,
the Salvation Army went hand in hand with
our boys in France. Sympathy and prayers,
issued bounteously with doughnuts and choco-
late, did more to cheer the hearts of the boys
than the prospects of a Croix de Guerre.
Our regiment was continually on the move
from the time we left Humberville until we
reached Pont-a-Mousson, two days after the
armistice w^as signed. At almost every water-
ing place. Pannes, Beney, Thiaucourt and
Boullionville, we were treated to a few deli-
cacies by the Salvation Army, but did not have
time to stop for the spiritual enlightment, al-
though the spirit diffused by the donors brought
like results. However, after becoming estab-
lished at Pont-a-Mousson for a few days, three
Salvation Army w^orkers opened a hut in the
city and the chance for more intimate acquaint-
ance became possible. These workers were
Ensign W. L. Price, of Savannah, Ga., Captain
Signa L. Saunders, of Minneapolis, and Lieu-
tenant Myrtle L. Turkington, of South Man-
chester, Conn.
Miss Saunders had been a member of the
Salvation Army for several years before en-
tering the Officers' Training School at Chicago
in 1914. She finished the school, after six
months' training, as a Lieutenant, and was
made a Captain a year and a half later. She
came to France on the same ship which carried
Ensign Price, the French liner "Rochambeau."
They landed at Bordeaux on April 19, 1918.
Her first appointment was Lagney, to w^hich
place she was sent in company of two other
women workers. The condition of Lagney
and the surrounding country, being well known
to us, will reveal the very discouraging field
given to a young lady just coming to a strange
country from a land like ours.
Six weeks later she was sent to the St.
Mihiel front, where she located a hut in L'Er-
mitage woods, only four kilos from the front
line trenches. During the drive she and her
companions were doing hospital work for
Field Hospital No. 1 66, 42nd Division. One
week after the drive they followed the 89th
Division to Boullionville, where they stayed
for ten days, then moved to Thiaucourt and
remained for seven weeks. Miss Saunders
came to Pont-a-Mousson the early part of De-
cember with Miss Turkington, whom she met
in L'Ermitage woods, and Ensign Price.
Miss Turkington came to France on the
French ship "Espagne," which reached port
at Bordeaux on December 17, 1917. She
came as a cadet, not having time to complete
her course in the training school at New York
City. She was commissioned as a Lieutenant
in March, 1918, at St. Joire. Her first ap-
pointment was Bonnet, followed by St. Joire,
St. Ansonville, Menil la Tour, Lagney, Thiau-
court, Bouillionville, L'Ermitage Woods and
Pont-a-Mousson.
A small band of Salvation Army workers,
among whom was Miss Turkington, had estab-
lished a hut in St. Ansonville and were work-
ing with the 26th Division when the German
surprise attack was made on the night of April
19th. They were under a gas barrage from
4:00 until 8:00 a.m. After the Huns had
been checked the hut opened and served hot
chocolate and pies to the tired fighters. This
was the beginning of the heavy American fight-
ing. A few days later the girls, against their
wishes, were taken farther back by means of
a buckboard and under heavy shell fire. Gen-
eral Buck, commanding the 3rd Division, also
made them leave the L'Ermitage woods during
the St. Mihiel drive.
About 8:00 o'clock in the evening of No-
vember 1 0th, while Miss Saunders and Miss
Turkington were sitting in their hut at Thiau-
court writing letters, a shrapnel burst just out-
side the door, splintering it and casting frag-
ments of stone, wood, lead and steel about
the hut. It was very providential that the
lives of the girls were saved. Many dangerous
happenings fell to the lot of the Salvation
Army workers at the front. As they go where
they are most needed they have been able to
see the greater part of France.
The brave men and women of the Salvation
Army have done much to lighten the hearts
of soldiers, to encourage and inspire them and
give them a message as coming from home.
— 182-
At no period in its career did the Order of Knights of Colum-
bus occupy so high a place in public confidence and esteem as that
reached during the war.
The K. of C. huts in Custer were very popular and were the
scenes of many entertainments, athletic contests and social evenings.
After coming overseas it was not our fortune to be near a K. of C.
hut until w^e reached Pont-a-Mousson. While we were at the front
the K. of C. cars were always patrolling the dangerous roads and
passing out cigarettes and chocolate to the boys.
Shortly after we arrived at Pont-a-Mousson a hut was opened
in an old building known as the Hotel de la Providence, on Rue
Victor Hugo. It was under the direction of N. P. Bissonnette, of
Springfield, Mass., assisted by Thomas F. Neary, of New York City.
From the day of the opening the popularity of the place was
demonstrated. An average of over fifteen hundred men per day
were served. During the first four weeks there was a large quantity
of merchandise given to the soldiers, one hundred and fifty thou-
sand sheets of writing paper, fifty thousand envelopes, seven thou-
sand five hundred Missouri meerschaums, twenty-five thousand
packages of tobacco, one million cigarettes, three hundred pounds
of chewing tobacco, ten cases of condensed milk, ten thousand
packages of chewing gum, five thousand cakes of soap, two thou-
sand five hundred packs of playing cards and hundreds of mis-
cellaneous items. This is only an example of the great work done
by the K. of C. and other organizations of like nature.
Before leaving Pont-a-Mousson the managers of the local hut
called on us and expressed their appreciation of the courtesies
extended to them by the 329th men. They also stated that the
hut would remain open as long as any troops were quartered in
the city.
183 —
I ^^-
Buddy 'o Mine
Our hardships together are over and done,
Buddy O' Mine.
We're due for our share of the play and the fun.
Buddy O' Mine.
We're finee with cootie, with flu and with Hun,
But where can we equal the pep o' that gun,
The "soixante quinze" baby we served on the run?
Buddy O' Mine.
The wearisome road-hikes are things of the past.
Buddy O' Mine.
We're back in the place of our dreams now at last.
Buddy O' Mine.
We can look for our thrills without orders or caste.
But where can we find 'em so sure and so fast
As we did helping Babie nail Huns to the mast?
Buddy O' Mine.
There's little we'll miss of the old army days.
Buddy O' Mine.
We never will yearn for the old "red tape" ways,
Buddy O' Mine.
But when memory pictures the flash through the haze.
We'll have nothing but pride and abundance of praise
For the spitfire that taught us the friendship that stays,
Buddy O' Mine.
— 185
"Goodbye, Jim: Take
keer of yours'f."
186
329th
Directory
DIRECTORY
329th FIELD ARTILLERY, A. E. F.
REGIMENTAL
CAMPBELL, TILMAN, Colonel 4 Front Street, Memphis, Tenn.
LOTHROP, GEORGE, V. N., Major Union Trust Building, Detroit, Mich.
BRADY, OSCAR, Captain 117 Illinois Street, Battle Creek, Mich.
BOWEN, PAUL M., Captain 1145 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, Mich.
BOOTH, WARREN S., Captain Birmingham, Mich.
BARRETT, LESLIE, P., Captain Prospect Street, Ann Arbor, Mich.
CADMAN, PAUL F., Captain 2130 San Jose Avenue, Alameda, Cal.
MOREHEAD, LOUIS G., Captain 120 West Walnut Street, Greenfield, Ind.
A BATTERY
MOORE, JUNIUS H., Major 1108 Virginia Street, Charlestown, West Va.
HAYES, CHARLES A., First Lieutenant Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin
CARRICO, WILLIAM R., Second Lieutenant 777 Jefferson Avenue, Detroit, Mich.
GORHAM, CHESTER A., Second Lieutenant Mt. Pleasant, Mich.
ABBOTT. CHARLES, Pvt., 1st CI. CLIFFORD, ELISHA, Pvt. GIES, HAROLD, Pvt.
457 Trumbull Avenue, R. F. D. No. 1. 361 Antietam Street.
Detroit. Michigan Shiloh. Ionia County, Michigan Detroit, Michigan
AHRENS. HARTZELL F., Sgt. COCHRAN, GEORGE P., Pvt. GILBERTSON, JOHN S., Pvt.
78 East Euclid Avenue, R. F. D. No. 2, 302 Helen Avenue,
Detroit Michigan Marysville, Georgia Detroit, Michigan
ALDRICH, CLIFFORD C, Pvt. COLLIAN, DANIEL A., Pvt. GODWIN, EDWARD B., Pvt.
456 Hillger Avenue. 208 Pitcher Street, R. F. D. No. 1,
Detroit, Michigan Detroit, Michigan Lennon, Michigan
ANDERSON, WILLIAM, Pvt. COLLINS, WILLIAM R., Pvt. HANSON, CLARENCE C. Pvt. 1st CI.
417 Cleveland Street, 145 Williams Street, 914 West Seventh Street,
Detroit. Michigan Samia, Ontario, Canada Eugene, Oregon
ANDREWS. WELLS H., Corp. CONKLIN, MARK E., Mec. HALL, HARRY M., Corp.
Cicero, New York R. F. D. No. 3, 901 Georgia Street,
ANSON CHARLES P Sgt Flushing, Michigan Birmingham, Ala.
187 Lock Street, " COSTAS, JOHN, Pvt. HARRINGTON, GLENN C, Pvt.
Lockport, New York 290 Michigan Avenue, 528 West Seventh Street,
ARNOLD ERIC Pvt 1st CI. Detroit, Michigan Leadville, Colorado
141 Quebec Street. East, COULSON. FRED, Pvt. HAVENS, GEORGE M., Pvt.
Guelph, Ontario, Canada R. F. D. No. 3, 124 East Allegan Street,
ATHERS TAMES D Pvt Ionia, Michigan Lansing, Michigan
48 Gorham Street! DAMOUR, JOSEPH J., Pvt. HELLERMAN, WILLIAM W., Pvt.
West Somerville. Massachusetts 503 Bangor Street, 729 Molke Avenue,
BAILEY DONALD A.. Pvt. Bay City, Michigan Scranton, Pennsylvania
160 Gladstone Avenue. DAVIS, HARRY D., Corp. HERBERT, WILLIAM E., Pvt.
Detroit. Michigan 22 Grove Street, Hubbell, Michigan
BALMER, THOMAS, Pvt. Providence, Rhode Island HILL, EARL F., Pvt.
76 Abbott Street, DELMAR, JOHN W., Pvt. P. O. Box No. 130, R. F. D. No. 5,
Detroit. Michigan 187 Northwestern Avenue, Reed City, Michigan
BEARD, LAURANCE P., Sgt. Detroit, Michigan HOUSTON, ROBERT A., Pvt. 1st CI.
2478 Lagonda Avenue. DOBBINS, FLOYD E.. Pvt. 1st CI. R- F- D. No. 26,
Springfield, Ohio 11,929 Woodland Avenue, Delta, Ohio
BEEBE, RALPH B., Corp. Cleveland, Ohio HOVDE, ERIK O., Mec.
409 South Burdick Street, DOMBROWSKI ANTHONY Pvt. ^^ Brainard Street,
Kalamazoo, Michigan 31 Hope Street, ' * Detroit, Michigan
BONDY, WILLIAM W, Corp. Perry, New York HOWARD, JOSEPH, Pvt.
1215 Lafayette Blvd.. West, T-iDncTP- -rmrnrinipii- t o,„ General Delivery
Detroit, Michigan DRC^TE, THEODORE J.. Pvt. Dublin, Canada
BOWER. GEORGE L., Hs. Eagle Michigan HUGHES, GEORGE T., Pvt.
Flushing, Michigan „„„„,,. ^.„, „ „ 725 East Fifth Avenue,
BOWIE, ALBERT. Pvt. °"^4^7"she^m?n''A''ven?e'- ^''"*' ^'*-«''"
287 Wabash Avenue, Detroit Michigan HULBURD, FRED G., Corp
Detroit, Michigan ' Care George A. Drake & Co.,
BRADLEY DAVID B Corp ENGLES, CHARLES B., Pvt. Detroit, Michigan
Linden.' Michigan. RFD. ' ^56 Fourth Avenue. HUNDSHAMER. FRANK D., Cook
BRAKE EDWARD P Pvt 1st CI Detroit. Michigan igig Qridgman Street,
Potosi Wisc^Sn EDMONDSON. RAY. Corp. Flint, Michigan
RROWN WII I lAM L Pvt 311 West Warren Avenue, HYDON. FRANK M., Sgt.
Sral Delivery '°"''°''' ^'ch.gan Skaneateles, New York
Jane Lew. West Virginia FADIE, FRED A.. Pvt. IRVINE, LAWRENCE R., Pvt.
RIIRKF WTI I lAM H Pvt ^- ^- ^- ^°- ■*• 834 Franklin Street,
" 23 Ea!^ Brooktae Sireet,- Cass City, Michigan Detroit, Michigan
Boston. Massachusetts FEDEWA, OTTO J., Pvt. JARMEY, DWAIN C, Pvt.
BURSTALL, RUDOLPH, Pvt. Fowler, Michigan 315 Porter St reet ,
246 Beals Avenue, FENN, HARVEY A., Pvt. °''"°'*' T,".„ „ „
Detroit. Michigan 526 Concord Avenue, JARRENDT, WILLIAM H., Pvt.
CASOGLOS. GUST. Pvt. Detroit. Michigan 166-28th Street,
Care W. R. Decker, RFD. No. 5, FRALEIGH. THOMAS, Corp. ,r..,?J^,°'^^^^^^T^ Pvt 1« ri
Pontiac. Michigan Care Mrs. O. Gibbs. J^^J^y-^?^"^/?' ^^l 'h-3u„„
CHALL, ALBERT E., Corp. Goodells, Michigan R . F- D. No. 4, Care Archie Glann.
850 Seventeenth Street, p-RAVFR I OITI<5 H Pv, Flint, Michigan
Detroit. Michigan l^flixVh Street ' JONES, EDGAR S,. Corp,
^"1.Tfd^^^}l'?hif a"^^''^" °- ^"- De^tr^oit^'^M^^h^'an kt^^'i^^.^^t.^.^n
^« Y8*^Ml?=uf ^^^ ^- ^^'- '-' "■ °'^t-"^tf^f -' "■' ""■ '^^^l^rBX^rl^t. ''-•
Wi^tor Ontario, Canada D"™"' **"='"«='" Detroit, Michigan
CHAVEZ, THOMAS, Pvt. '^^^If^^.^P'^^^^' ^'"- KECK, CHARLES F., Pvt.
General Deliverv 51 Pellesier Street, R. F. D. No. 1.
San Francisco? California Windsor, Ontario, Canada Laingsburg, Michigan
CHMIELEWSKI JOSEPH S Pvt GENTILINIS, NICHOLAS, Pvt. KELLEY, WILLIAM A., Pvt. 1st CI.
976 Joseph Campau. ' 222 Brush Street, 3515 Robin Street,
Detroit, Michigan Detroit, Michigan Fhnt, Michigan
CHOLETTE OLIVER L., Pvt. GENUNG, HARRY W., Pvt. 1st CI. KENDZIORA, JOHN, Pvt. 1st CI.
131 Linwood Avenue, R. F. D. No. 1, 672 Canfield Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan Decatur, Michigan Detroit, Michigan
— 189 —
KLEIN, WILLIAM, Pvt.
P. O. Box No. 153,
Pewamo, Ionia County, Michigan
KNIGHT. THOMAS HALE, Sad.
6106 North Paulina Street,
Chicago, Illinois
KORTE, ADOLPH G., Pvt.
92 Tombstone Canyon,
Bisbee, Arizona
KUNERT, FRANK, Pvt. 1st CI.
226 Rhons Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
LAGROU, JOHN A., Corp.
517 Chalmers Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
LA ROSE, PHILLIP, Pvt.
634 Lockwood Street,
Alpena, Michigan
LEMMEN, JOHN B., Corp.
Box No. 15, R. F. D. No. 10,
Holland, Michigan
LIPPOLD, ALFRED, C, Pvt.
406 South Oak Street,
Escanaba, Michigan
LOWERY, DAVID L., Pvt.
R. F. D. No. 3,
Tecumseh, Michigan
LYONS, RALPH W., Sgt.
Bluffs, Illinois
MACLEOD. HERBERT, Pvt.
1463 St. Lawrence Avenue,
Bronx, New York
McCONKEY, GEORGE, Pvt. 1st CI.
Box No. 1,
Pocatello, Idaho
McCRUMB, GLENN E., Pvt.
1106 Michigan Avenue,
Ann Arbor, Michigan
McDONALD, THOMAS J., Corp.
119 East Palmer Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
McGUIRE, JAMES, Pvt.
163 East Congress Street,
Detroit, Michigan
McHUGH, WILFRED, Pvt.
56 Commonwealth Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
McKinn, George H., Pvt.
Jefferson, Green Coimty, Pennsylvania
MALLUS, GUST, Hs.
290 Michigan Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
MANSON, ARTHUR C, Corp.
844 South Lyman Avenue,
Oak Park, Illinois
MATTER, EDWARD J., Pvt.
R. F. D. No. 1,
St. Johns, Michigan
MATUNES, ADAM, Pvt.
1764-52nd Street,
Detroit, Michigan
MELCHERS, RUDY, Pvt.
600 Fitzhugh Street,
Saginaw, Michigan
MELICK, FRANCIS C, Corp.
Centerburg, Ohio
MILLER, MYRON, Sup. Sgt.
907 Majestic Building,
Detroit, Michigan
MODROK, FRANK, Cook
422 Calumet Street,
Laurium, Michigan
MORITZ, EDWARD T., Pvt.
R. F. D. No. 1,
Fowler, Michigan
MULLIN, CHARLES, Pvt.
Rexton, Michigan
MURPHY, LOUIS A., Pvt.
62 Greenwood Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
MYERS, ALBERT C, Pvt.
R. F. D. No. 2,
St. Johns, Michigan
NASH, JOSEPH A., Pvt.
506 McKinstry Street,
Detroit, Michigan
NIESLUCHOWSKI, STANLEY, Pvt.
1233 McDougal Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
NORTHRUP, VERNON W., Pvt.
21 Grove Street,
Geneva, New York
NOWAK, STEPHEN W., Pvt. 1st CI.
415 Woodward Avenue, Hoffman Hotel,
Detroit, Michigan
OCKERT, EDWARD, Pvt.
Remus, Michigan
ODLE, HENRY W., Pvt.
Applegate, Michigan
OEKMKE, HENRY H., Pvt.
145 Amdt Street,
Detroit, Michigan
OLSON, HUGO P., Pvt.
1302 Wells Street,
Chicago, Illinois
ORBANSKI, JOHN, Bug.
658 John R. Street,
Detroit, Michigan
PATTERSON, CHARLIE F., Pvt. 1st CI.
Monitor, Washington
PAUL, SAM, Pvt.
167 Monroe Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
or
Malona, Island of Rhodes,
Aegean Sea
PERRY, WARD R., Corp.
R. F. D. No. 1,
Grand Blanc, Michigan
PETERS, MAX, Pvt.
148 Fairview Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
PETERS, WILFRED A., Pvt. 1st CI.
95 Greenwood Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
PETERSON, GODFRED O., Pvt.
416 Dexter Street,
Ionia, Michigan
PETZKE, ARTHUR E., Pvt. 1st CI.
R. F. D. No. 1,
Caledonia, Racine County, Wisconsin
PHILLIPS, SELWYN E., Pvt.
403 Marquette Street,
Bay City, Michigan
PIKEN, SAM, Pvt. 1st CI.
244 Farnsworth Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
PONTIUS, FRED M., Chief Mec.
26 Antonette Street,
Detroit, Michigan
POULLS, HARRY, Pvt. 1st CI.
115-117 East Adams Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
PROPOR, GLENN D,, Corp.
Linden, Michigan
RACHWITZ, WILLIAM C, Pvt.
538 }/2 Tennyson Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
RANOWSKI, GEROGE A., Pvt. 1st CI.
P. O. Box No. 284,
Corunna, Michigan
REARDON, WILLIAM D., Pvt.
234 Petosky Street,
Detroit, Michigan
REAZIN, THOMAS H., Sgt.
Care Miss Maude Lawson,
637 Fourth Avenue,
Dayton, Kentucky
REISIG, HARRY G., Sgt.
2320 Poplar Street,
Port Huron, Michigan
RENNER, LEO F., 1st Sgt.
613 West Washington Street,
Hagerstown, Maryland
RICE, MARK P., Pvt.
720-726 Grand River Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
REIGER, EDWARD A., Pvt.
206— Meridan Street,
Indianapolis, Indiana
RINDERKNECHT, HARRY, Pvt. 1st CI.
1116 Forest Avenue,
St. Louis, Missouri
ROBINSON, DANIEL T., Pvt.
R. F. D. No. 2,
Brimley, Michigan
ROOT, ERNEST E., Cook
520 Erie Street,
Lansing, Michigan
RYBICKI, STEVEN J., Pvt.
730 Hancock Avenue, East,
Detroit, Michigan
SCHAEFER, GEORGE, Pvt.
1 709 Queen City Avenue,
Cincinnati, Ohio
SCHMITZ, PETER, Pvt.
R F. D. No. 3,
St. Johns, Michigan
SCHROEDER, ELMER C, Pvt.
R. F. D. No. 3,
Mt. Clemens, Michigan
SCHULTZ, GEORGE J., Pvt. 1st CI.
736 North Dewey Street,
Owosso, Michigan
SEEGER, WILLIAM P., Pvt.
De Witt, Michigan
SEYMOUR, MITCHELL, Pvt.
496 Brush Street,
Detroit, Michigan
SHEA, JAMES, Corp.
215 Milwaukee Avenue, West,
Detroit, Michigan
SHEEDY, DANIEL F., Sgt.
Care Mrs. Florence Bodie.
100 East High Street,
Detroit, Michigan
SHIELS, LEO W., Pvt.
Box No. 122,
Hubbardston, Ionia County, Michigan
SMITH, HERMAN, Pvt. 1st CI.
21 Bates Street,
Detroit, Michigan
SMITH, HOWARD M., Pvt. 1st CI.
General Delivery,
Clio, Michigan .
SMITH, JOHN O., Corp.
791 Miller Avenue,
Columbus, Ohio
SMURTHWAITE, PERCY T., Pvt. 1st CI.
135 West Newall Street,
Flint, Michigan
SOUTHARD, SIMON C, Pvt.
Addison, Michigan
STADLER, CLARENCE L., Pvt.
142 Moran Street,
Detroit, Michigan
STANISZEWSKI, BRON, Pvt. 1st CI.
141 East Canfield Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
STANISZEWSKI, JOSEPH, Pvt. 1st CI.
141 East Canfield Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
STODDARD, RAY C, Pvt. 1st CI.
R. F. D. No. 1,
Brown City, Michigan
STROSTER, EDWARD A., Pvt.
401 Welsh Avenue,
Wilmerding, Pa.
SUVER, PHILIP, Pvt. 1st CI.
708 Locust Street,
Detroit, Michigan
SZUMIAK, JOHN, Hs.
440 Grandy Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
TEETS, THOMAS J., Pvt.
P. O. Box No. 42,
Shelldrake, Michigan
THOMPSON, WALTER H., Pvt.
177 Franklin Street,
Manistee, Michigan
THORPE, OLIVER A., Bug.
6238 Michigan Avenue,
Chicago, Illinois
TOMASZEWSKI, STEPHEN F., Pvt. 1st CI.
40 Congress Street, East,
Care Loyal Order of Moose,
Detroit, Michigan
TWA, WESLEY S., Cook
Box No. 288,
Crystal Falls, Michigan
URBAN, CHARLES, Pvt.
115 Playfair Street,
Hamtramck, Michigan
VRANA, CHARLES, Pvt. 1st CI.
R. F. D. No. 2,
Racine, Wisconsin
WASSELL, CHARLES S., Mec.
78 Auburn Avenue,
Highland Park, Michigan
WATKINS, NEVIN C, Pvt.
225 Oakley Place, N. E.,
Grand Rapids, Michigan
WEBER, LOUIS J., Pvt.
R. F. D. No. 2,
Wallet Lake, Michigan
WELCH, ROY, Pvt.
R. F. D. No. 3,
Linden, Michigan
WELSH, JOHN P., Corp.
Brownstown, Indiana
WHITE, WILLIAM, Pvt.
R. F. D. No. 2,
Brimley, Michigan
WILLIAMS, GUST, Corp.
R. F. D. No. 3,
Grand Blanc, Michigan
WILLIAMS, STANLEY H., Pvt.
234 Atkinson Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
WILLS, LEWIS G., Pvt. 1st CI
420 Pallister Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
YESKE, FRED W., Sgt.
706 Pine Street,
St. Joe, Michigan
ZABA, JOSEPH, Pvt. 1st CI.
R-6, Box No. 48,
Union Grove, Wisconsin
ZEHRUNG, IRA E., Pvt. 1st CI.
Pendleton, Oregon
ZIMMER, ALVIS C, Sgt.
Care Dr. C. E. Hershey,
172 East Market Street,
Tiffin, Ohio
ZUCCA, PETER v.. Mess Sgt.
101 East Canfield Avenue
Detroit, Michigan
190 —
B BATTERY
FRAZIER, CECIL A., Captain 3424 Harold Avenue, Berwin, 111.
CURTIS, DALE C, First Lieutenant 849 Stanley Avenue, Detroit, Mich.
SARGENT, JULIAN D., First Lieutenant 375 Lake Drive, Milwaukee, Wis.
ACKERT, CHAS. P., Second Lieutenant 5547 Chamberlin Avenue, St. Louis, Mo.
GOBLE, DAN, Second Lieutenant Kentucky
ACKERMAN. HERMAN, Corp. CORRIGAN. MAX L., Pvt. GUISBERT, JOHN H., Pvt. 1st CI.
201 East Navarre Street, - 3995 Castelman Avenue, Gilford, Michigan
South Bend, Indiana St. Louis, Missouri GUSTAFSON, WILFRED A., Sgt.
ACKERT. CHAS. P.. 2nd Lieutenant, COLBY, WILLIAM, Corp. 202 Westminister Avenue,
5547 Chamberlain Avenue, R. F. D. No. 2, Detroit, Michigan
St. Louis, Missouri Laingsburg, Michigan HAIGHT CHARLES R Pvt
ADAMS, GORDON v., Corp. CREIGHTON, ARTHUR L., Pvt. 1507 Arlington Avenue,
136 Clinton Street, R. F. D. No. 5, Flint, Michigan
Alpena, Michigan Portland, Michigan HAINER, WELBY Pvt.
ALVEREZ RAMON, Pvt. CROWELL, MORRIS, Pvt. 144 East High Street,
289 Rombley Avenue, 158 Franklin Street, Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan Manistee, Michigan HALL, LEON O., Pvt. 1st CI.
ARMSTRONG, LEIGHTON F., Sgt. ^"^„Ti^l; ^i I^ALE, 1st Lieutenant 14 Cooley Street,
936 Peck Street **' Stanley Avenue, Pontiac, Michigan
Muskegon, Michigan Detroit, Michigan HAMEL, JOSEPH, Pvt.
A<?FI TTNF FRANK E Pvt DALE, THOMAS R., Pvt. R. F. D. No. 5,
215 S th S St e t Morgantown, South Carolina Pontiac. Michigan
Owosso MicWgaiT ' ' ' DARGA, JOSEPH W., Pvt. HART, JAMES T., Pvt.
. .,.„.T, »,«.,.... »Tr e. 87 Canter Street, 16 Howland Street,
BALTER, NATHAN I., Sgt. Detroit, Michigan Grand Rapids, Michigan
De'troft MichT^m"' DAVY, EDWARD A., Sgt. " HARTOG, GEORGE DEN. Corp.
uetroit, Micnigan j^ p j^ ^^^ j^ 3(,5 Monroe Street.
BAIN, VERNE, Pvt. Hendersonville, Tennessee Monroe, Michigan
R. F. D- No. 1, DAW, ALFRED R., Sgt. HAWKINS, DELBERT E., Pvt.
Byron, Michigan ^gg ^,3^3 Avenue, General Delivery,
BAGARIS, GEO. G., Cook Detroit, Michigan Hart, Michigan
FilmonfoWo ^'"' DEAL, JAY J., Pvt. HARMAN, CHARLES O., Corp.
Fremont, Ohio Graeral Delivery, Box 104, R. F. D. No. 1,
BARRETT, JAMES H., Corp. Jonesville, Michigan Baroda, Michigan
D«roi7,^"?Sfga1."""'- DOOLEN, BENJAMIN F.. Pvt. ""^"^Mi^^MfcSfi^n ^^'^^°^^ ^- ^^^
_ Cif^fral npliverv iviio, Michigan
BARTOSEWICH KOSTANTY. Pvt. K^muLie IlSis HIMELHOCH, WILLIAM, Sgt.
Detroit MicWga^" DONNELLY, JAMES P., Pvt. 318 Ferry Avenue, East,
BAIIT FRANK F^vt 536 Bagg Street, Detroit, Michigan
^"""Ib H^'udfon S^'eft:'- D"-''- Michigan HOLZER. WILLIAM J., Sgt.
Detroit, Michigan DOYLE.^KENNETH W, Sgt. MiUbrSik'^'Mickgan .
^^""jleSou^rJe^Aviiue,'- D«-''. M-»igan' HONSINGER ELMER E., Corp.
Detroit, Michigan DREYFUS, MILTON D., Pvt. R«=^<=' Michigan
HK-Mi-ii-i Amaciitsi d„. 1222 South 12th Street, HORNBECK, DANIEL E., L. Corp.
r^^ • Yii,-'^^ •'•• *^"' Birmingham, Alabama 168 Tennyson Avenue,
wTstphaUa Sigan DRUMMOND, ROYAL W.. Pvt. „„J!!f l^"^ ''"''■ ^'■="«"'
HFwrMANN ATFRFDF Pvt 426 E. Lovel Street, HORTON, GLEN, Pvt.
BERGMANN, ALFRED E., Pvt. Kalamazoo, Michigan R. F. D. No. 3, Box No. 25,
ilst"jor?an MTchigan EAGLING, LLOYD, Corp. ^rt.lT^^"'^'^^'.^'^ ^'^ o
m ANrHin tamf<? f Pvt R- F- D- No. 3, HUGHSON, ROBERT G., Pvt.
^ 1? ««•■? '^^ • ' Lachine, Michigan 233 Fullerton Avenue',
BODNEr'tACOBM Pvt EDDY, CHARLES M., Sgt. Detroit, Michigan
°°°l^6Twift''i°fn5'str« : Horton, Michigan JACKSON ALEXANDER D., Pvt.
Cleveland. Ohio EISENBERG, DAVID, Pvt. Glasgow Scotfand
BOWMAN FRED E., Pvt. 1st CI. De'troft! M^llgan '' JAROSZ, Jo'sEPH, Pvt.
CambHdgf: England EVEREST MARSHALL A., Pvt. slgTuaT Mifhlg^'
BRENNEN, JOHN W., Pvt. Hubbard?tori«chigan JASPER, JOHN. Pvt.
KaUmazoo. Michigan FINUCAN, JOHN T.. Pvt. Det/oit^Mfchi^an"" ^'""'
nwTNKMAN FRNF«!TB Pvt Care Jefferson Avenue, Detroit, Michigan
^''Tl'^ Ea^^b^uftSfltTe^t-; '^'- D""". Michigan JOHNSON, JOE Pvt
Kalamazoo, Michigan FINDLAY DON L., Corp. LmoTMichigan'
BI'OWN WILLIAM EPvt^ geese, M^higaii KELLY. JASPER H., Pvt.
313 Kast Jefferson Avenue, ' *• _ ^oc Wam*.,- Au/>n.t^
Detroit, Michigan FINGER, LEO J., L. Corp. . Detroit MichuT'
UBiTiMFl? T ANDFN I Pvt Camp Douglass, Wisconsin L>etroit, Micmgan
^''"^ F^b': n'^^S^'' ''•■ ^^- FLOOD, FRANCIS, Cook '^^^Ji^lfJkl^^.?^''^ ''- ''"'•
Hickory. North Carolina l.'eJerbor'o^'anada Port'lJithirr'canada
BUCHANAN, WM. G., Pvt. feterboro. l,anaaa KFNNFDV ROV R Pvt
2936 W. Grand Blvd., FOX, JOSEPH T., L. Corp. ^neTal DeliJerv"
Detroit, Michigan Troy, New York gSf^rd^MiSn
BURNS, GEORGE H., Pvt. FRAZIER, CECIL A., Captain KNEE HAVILAND L Pvt
R F D No 2, 3424 Harold Avenue, on'/f^i iT c. T'l^ V
i^ .»■ L- Tal™,.... TM;..r^:o 20 Columbia Strcct, East,
Perry. Michigan Berwyn, "l-nois Detroit. Michigan
^"'V?^.i'^??.'^^.^ ^- ^^'- ^^G^JSd^uZv- KNEELAND, HAROLD C. Pvt.
BUSTANCE, GEORGE W., Pvt. FUERST, JOSEPH J., Pvt. KOBEL BERNARD E Pvt
R F D No 3 963 Frederick Avenue, KOBKL., tJEKN AKU u... fin.
«. . ■.. ».-V- T^ . „■* i,ff:..K:»..« 506 Huron Avenue.
ClarksviUe, Michigan Detroit, Michigan ^^^.^^ ^.^^^ Michigan
^""^i-nf n- ^°^^ ha'''"- °*^^I H^l^motd Ave^uf'' KOGLSHATZ. EDGAR R., Pvt. 1st CI.
205 Greenwood Avenue, 218 Hamrnond Avenue, 531 Lincoln Avenue,
Jackson, Michigan Detroit, Michigan Detroit, Michigan
CHAIT, JAKE, Pvt. GOBLE, DANIEL C., 2nd Lieutenant KOTLIER, SAMUEL E., Pvt.
216 East Elliot Street, Gannelton, Indiana 3gj Alfred Street,
Detroit, Michigan GOLDBERG, HARRY, Pvt. Detroit, Michigan
COFFMAN, ROLAND S., Pvt. 5339 Minerva Avenue, KLEIN, LOUIS. Pvt.
R. F. D. No. 3, St. Louis, Missouri Hopkinsville, Kentucky
Eldorado Springs, Missouri GAMBURD, JOSEPH, Pvt. KRAMER, ALEX. M., Pvt.
CALACICCO, GREGORIO, Bugler 142 Adley Street, 141 Medbury Blvd.,
90 Swanton Street, Detroit, Michigan Detroit, Michigan
Winchester, Massachusetts GUINNER, HERMAN L., Corp. KUEUBLER, ADOLPH H., Pvt.
COLLELO, JOSEPH, Pvt. 4216 N. Nesstcad Avenue, 58 Cummings Street,
Bari per Triggialo, Italy St. Louis, Missouri Irvington, New Jersey
COOK, REUBEN B.. Pvt. GORIN, HYMAN, Pvt. LARKINS, HARRY V., Pvt.
GCTcral Delivery. 63 Bartlett Street, 808 W. First Street,
Lake Odessa, Michigan Brooklyn, New York Bloomington, Indiana
— 191 —
LARSON. GILBERT H., Pvt. 1st CI.
2933 Lyndale Street,
Chicago, Illinois
LAYER, CLARENCE E., Pvt. 1st CI.
Unionville, Michigan
LEE, HERBERT C, Pvt.
222 High Street, West,
Detroit, Michigan
LENHARDT, LORENZ, Pvt.
Orrville, Ohio
LEWIS, GLENN W., Pvt. 1st CI.
Box No. 173.
Caro. Michigan
LIGHT, SIDNEY D., Sgt.
1714 N. Michigan Avenue.
Saginaw, Michigan
LING, EDWARD G., Pvt.
R. F. D. No. 1,
Bancroft, Michigan
LITTLE, ARTHUR. Pvt.
R. F. D. No. 4.
Cass City, Michigan
LEOTZ, CARL A., Mec.
23 Magill Street.
Manistee, Michigan
LUFT, ORVEL L., Pvt.
710 Shiawassee Street,
Owosso, Michigan
LUTEY, RUSSEL J., Pvt.
705 First Street,
Ishpheming, Michigan
LUTTON, REED J., Pvt.
608 Toad Avenue,
EUwood, Pennsylvania
McBRIDE. OSMER, Pvt.
General Delivery.
Brimley, Michigan
McCARTY, EARLE D., Sgt.
Thamesford, Ontario, Canada
McCAUSEY, FLOYD, Pvt.
R. F. D. No. 4,
Portland, Michigan
McDonald, Arthur j., Pvt.
313 Courtland Avenue.
Detroit, Michigan
McKEE, RALPH E., Corp.
183 Marston Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
McKINNON, JOHN W., Pvt.
General Delivery,
Goderich, Canada
McKOWN, ADNA, W., Pvt.
General Delivery.
Booth Bay Harbor, Maine
MANCHESTER, REID C, Corp.
Oxford, Wisconsin
MACKEY, CHARLES, Pvt.
1068 Fairview Street,
Detroit, Michigan
MACKIE, JOHN E., Pvt.
Box No. 78,
Rudyard, Michigan
MARBLE, JOHN A., Pvt.
General Delivery,
Liberty, New York
MATTERN, JAMES, Pvt.
541 Court Street,
Sault Ste. Marie. Michigan
MARZO, Vinccnzo, Pvt.
202 East Nallen Avenue,
Altoona. Pennsylvania
MEYERS, CLARENCE E., Pvt.
633 Village Street,
Kalamazoo, Michigan
MELTON, WILLIAM R., Sgt.
, 6 Beresford, Detroit
MOORE, DAVE F,, Pvt.
Box No. 24,
Clinton, Michigan
MORRIS, JOHN A., Pvt. 1st CI.
Chaple Square. Crowlas Lugdvan,
Cornwall, England
MORRISH, HAROLD M., Pvt.
809 Ann Arbor Street,
Flint, Michigan
NANKERVIS, JAMES, Pvt.
1406 Beech Street,
Flint, Michigan
NEITHERCUT, CHARLES S., Pvt. 1st CI.
R. F. D. No. 6.
Clare, Michigan
NELSON, THEODORE, Pvt.
R. F. D. No. 2,
Deerfield, Wisconsin
NEUBECKER, ANDREW W., Cook
84 Orchard Place,
Battle Creek, Michigan
NEWMAN, WALTER H., Pvt.
308 Tomlinson Avenue,
Moundsville, West Virginia
NOWLEN, IRVING J., L. Corp.
1337 Buchanan Street,
Grand Rapids, Michigan
NYGREN, ERIC A., Pvt.
572 Merrick Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
O. JIBWAY, GEORGE W., Pvt.
724 Spruce Street,
Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
OLMSTEAD, ARTHUR L., Pvt.
General Delivery,
Detour, Michigan
PAAVOLA, ONNIE H., Pvt.
1506 Marble Avenue,
Flint, Michigan
PATRICK, MIKE P., Pvt.
Copper City, Michigan
PAYNE, WARREN C, Pvt.
1329 N. Saginaw Street,
Flint, Michigan
PECKHAM, HARRY, Pvt.
General Delivery,
Oxford, Michigan
PRICE, CHARLES H., 1st Sgt.
434 Blaine Avenue,
Marion, Ohio
PLACE, KARL J., Pvt.
1126 Harding Avenue,
Owosso, Michigan
QUINN, CLAYTON D., Pvt.
112 Seventh Street,
Flint, Michigan
RAFFERTY, THOMAS J., Pvt.
Highland Falls, New York
REEDER, GEORGE, Pvt.
General Delivery,
Reed City, Michigan
REIGER, FRANK, Corp.
1407 East 88th Street,
Cleveland, Ohio
RITTER, BERNARD C, Pvt.
236 Avondale Avenue,
Columbus, Ohio
ROE, ROBERT G., Pvt.
General Delivery,
Pickford, Michigan
ROSENBERG, HERMAN, Pvt.
2020 Russell Street,
Detroit, Michigan
RONSA, JULIAN S., Corp.
6 McKinley Avenue,
Grosse Point Farms, Michigan
ROSZMANN, HARRY, Pvt.
R. F. D. No. 5.
Owosso, Michigan
SAARI, GUSTI, Pvt.
719 Currie Street,
Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
SANFORD, GEORGE L., Pvt.
R. F. D.,
Hawley, Michigan
SCANLON, JOHN F., Pvt.
General Delivery,
Carleton, Michigan
SCHMIDTMAN, FREDERICK S., Pvt.
R. F. D. No. 2,
Bath, Michigan
SCHMITT, JOSEPH A., Pvt.
216 Owen Street,
Hamilton, Ohio
SCHROCK, JOEL, L. Corp.
Box 72, R. F. D. No. 1,
Jones, Michigan
SEEFELD, PAUL F., Sgt.
Eldorado, Pennsylvania
SEWARD, WILEY B., Corp.
616 W. Riverview,
JeffersonviUe, Indiana
SHARICK, GEORGE D., Corp.
1403 Church Street,
Flint, Michigan
SHIELDS, WM. 1st Lieutenant
Calumet, Oklahoma
SHELTON, ANDIE Z., Pvt.
R. F. D. No. 1,
Burnes, Tennessee
SHERWOOD, CARL B., Pvt.
Mio, Michigan
SOPER, FRANK W., L. Corp.
R. F. D. No. 2,
Alpena, Michigan
SMITH, ROBERT A., Pvt. (deceased)
R. F. D. No. 2, Box 16,
Wyandotte, Michigan
SNYDER, JOSEPH J., Pvt.
222 Cherry Street.
Battle Creek, Michigan
STECHSCHULTE, HUGO A., Pvt.
R. F. D. No. 2,
Owosso, Michigan
STEINER, FLOYD R., Pvt.
516 Garfield Avenue,
Owosso, Michigan
STEINKE, EDWARD G., Pvt.
1 78 Peterboro Street,
Detroit, Michigan
STREHL, FLOYD R., Pvt.
General Delivery,
Watseka, Illinois
SULLIVAN, HARRY, Pvt.
23 Bay Street,
Cambridge, Massachusetts
SUNDAY, WILLIAM, Pvt.
Box 266.
St. Charles. Michigan
SWAYNE. HARVEY R., Pvt.
Box No. 167,
Metamora, Michigan
THACKHAM, GEORGE, Pvt.
913 Cedar Street,
Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
TOMCHAK, JOHN, Pvt.
Kennicott, Alaska
TONKIN, WILLIAM W., Pvt.
49 McLean Avenue,
Highland Park, Michigan
TORREY, RAY E., Pvt.
17 Daton Street,
Oxford, Michigan
TRAVERS, JAMES, Pvt.
336 E. Spruce Street,
Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
TRIPP, WALTER C, Corp.
R. F. D. No. 31,
Trumansburg, New York
ULSHAFER, ROBERT P., Pvt.
393 Walnut Street,
Wabash, Indiana
VAN SPYKER, HARM, Pvt.
R. F. D. No. 3,
Zeeland, Michigan
VARGO, MIKE P., Pvt.
General Delivery,
Huntington, Arkansas
VAUGHN, CLAYTON E., Pvt.
General Delivery,
Kent, Ohio
VINCENT, BURYL E., Pvt.
703 Saginaw Street,
Durand, Michigan
VICKERS, HARRY J., Pvt. Ist CI.
Cass City, Michigan
VITELLI, FRED E., Pvt.
1230 W. 73rd Street,
Chicago, Illinois
WATLING, JOHN C, Pvt.
R. F. D. No. 1,
Shaftsburg, Michigan
WEBBER. FRANCIS E., Corp.
34 East End,
Redruth, Cornwall, England
WEBER, CLARENCE A., Pvt.
1121 16th Street,
Detroit, Michigan
WESTROM, WALTER H., Pvt.
6626 Carpenter Street,
Chicago. Illinois
WIERZBICKI, JOHN, Pvt.
5 Bushby Street.
Detroit, Michigan
WIESZECINSKI, JOHN W., Pvt.
317 Third Street,
Rochester, Michigan
WILCOX, MELVIN, Pvt.
R. F. D. No. 1,
Morley, Michigan
WILLIAMS, STANLEY W., Pvt.
702 Wilcox Street,
Flint, Michigan
WILLIAMS, TELFER C, Pvt.
1345 Hamilton Street,
Flint, Michigan
WILSON, DAVID, Pvt.
General Delivery,
Dryberg, Michigan
WITHEY, WILLIAM C, Pvt.
312 South Park Avenue,
Jackson, Michigan
WOOSTER, EDGAR D., L. Corp.
1309 Ann Arbor Street,
Flint, Michigan
YATS, CLARENCE N., Pvt.
213 W. Mason Street,
Owosso, Michigan
ZOLTOWSKI, LEO F., Mec.
86 Livingstone Street,
Detroit, Michigan
— 192 —
C BATTERY
BAXTER, CURTIS A., Captain
BARTLETT, WALTER S., First Lieutenant
GAY, JOHN B., First Lieutenant
DITMER, OTTO H., Second Lieutenant 317 South
DICKIE
AKLEY, LEROY, 1st Sgt.
43-9th Street,
Franklin, Pennsylvania
ALTSCHWAGER, PAUL E., Pvt.
118 Harmon Street,
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
ATKINS, ERNEST S., Sgt.
300 Seward Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
BAAS, PETER, Corp
400 Marietta Avenue, N. E ,
Grand Rapids, Michigan
BARIE, ARTHUR E., Pvt.
935 West Warren Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
BARROWS, CARL A., Corp.
1175 Gay Street,
Portland, Oregon
BARTKOWIAK, ANTHONY F., Pvt. 1st CI.
377 Willis Avenue, East,
Detroit, Michigan
BAUMIA, EDWARD J., Cook
841 Crane Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
BEAUCHESNE, ARTHUR, Pvt.
213 Queen Street,
Saginaw, Michigan
BERGER, HENRY, Pvt.
11210 Stephenson Avenue,
Chicago, Illinois
BICKFORD, ARTHUR, Pvt.
2600-7th Street,
DcsMoincs, Iowa
BOROWSKY, WILLIAM A., Pvt.
999 Pennsylvania Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
BOZA, AUGUST, Pvt.
753 Mitchell Avenue.
Detroit, Michigan
BROWN, CORNELIUS T., Pvt.
4034 W. 12th Street,
Chicago, Illinois
BRYANT, DONALD J., Corp.
1418-15th Street,
Detroit, Michigan
CALABRESE, FRANK, Sgt.
358 Orleans Street,
Detroit, Michigan
CAMPBELL, COLIN, Sgt.
83 Frederick Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
CAMPBELL, JOSEPH T., Cook
1833 Parkway,
Everett, Massachusetts
CARL, RUDOLPH, Corp.
358 Van Dyke Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
CARNEY, JOHN, Pvt. 1st CI.
438 Elizabeth, West,
Detroit, Michigan
CARRIE, ROBERT L., Corp.
49 Tuscola Street,
Detroit, Michigan
CARTER, WILLIAM M., Pvt.
Box No. 64, R. F. D. No. 4,
Dalton, Georgia
CASPER, MATTHEW, Pvt.
1004 Hancock, West,
Detroit, Michigan
CHADWICK, ALBERT P., Chief Mcch.
Boscawer, New Hampshire
CHADWICK, CLARENCE, Pvt.
Deford, Michigan
CHASE. HAROLD D., Pvt.
161 Philadelphia Avenue. East,
Detroit, Michigan
CHESNAU, LOUIS, Pvt.
175 Wilkins Street,
Detroit, Michigan
CONNELLY, PETER J., Corp.
305 W. Warren Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
COSTA, FERDINANDO F., Pvt.
Laurium, Michigan
CUNNINGHAM. DAVID E., Sgt.
705 N Vine Street,
Orrville, Ohio
DARBE, WILLIAM J., Pvt.
358 Antietam Street,
Detroit, Michigan
DAWSON, JOHN P., Mec.
R. F. D. No. 3,
Fairgrove, Michigan
DeJARNETT. JAMES R., Pvt.
607 E. 13th Street,
Little Rock, Arkansas
DeLISLE, LARRY, Pvt.
Pearl Street,
Marine City, Michigan
DIBBLE, DONALD E., Pvt.
5101 E. 14th Street,
Oakland, California
DILAURA, PETER. Mess Sgt.
642 Jj Rivard Street,
Detroit, Michigan
DOHERTY, LAURENCE, Corp.
144 Cherry Street,
Detroit, Michigan
DONOGHUE, HENRY W., Pvt.
1040 Monroe Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
DOODY, DANIEL J., Pvt.
1241 S. Millard Avenue,
Chicago, Illinois
DROLSHAGEN, JOHN J., Pvt. 1st CI.
469 Sherman Street,
Detroit, Michigan
DUDICK, SYLVESTER J., Pvt. 1st CI.
Stanwood, Michigan
DUMOUCHELLE, ALBERT J., Pvt.
256-1 5th Street,
Detroit, Michigan
EDBERG, GEORGE W., Pvt.
Winter, Wisconsin
FAIRCHILD, LYNN C, Corp.
175 Kerby Avenue, West,
Detroit, Michigan
FARRINGTON, CLARE W., Pvt.
902 N. 3rd Street,
Marquette, Michigan
FAVIO, JOSEPH, Pvt.
47-22nd Street,
Detroit, Michigan
FERRY, PETER, Corp.
Box No. 86, R. F. D. No. 1,
Monroe, Michigan
FISHER, IRA C, Pvt. 1st CI.
603 West Court Street,
Flint, Michigan
FITZPATRICK, JEROME B., Corp
32 Rosedale Court,
Detroit, Michigan
FOGGIANO, MIKE, Pvt. 1st CI.
691 Riopelle Street,
Detroit, Michigan
FORBES, RUSSELL C, Pvt.
109 Porter Street,
Detroit, Michigan
FOTIS, STEVE, Pvt.
143 Monroe Avenue, ,
Detroit, Michigan
FRANKLIN, RUSSELL C, Pvt.
140 Hendrie Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
GALLAGHER, LOUIS, Pvt.
1818 Monroe Street,
Toledo, Ohio
GALLEANO, JOHN D., Pvt.
6617 Bartmer Avenue,
St. Louis, Missouri
GARVALIA, FRANK, Horseshoer
535 Russell Street.
Detroit, Michigan
GAPA, JOHN, Pvt.
Posen, Michigan
GAUDET, RICHARD A., Pvt.
5 Maple Park Avenue,
Medford, Massachusetts
GEBAUER, ALFRED, Pvt.
1157 Belvidere Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
GERDS, CHARLES T., Pvt
1185 Crane Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
GLICK, HENRY R., Pvt.
1608 E. Main Street,
Richmond, Indiana
GOLDSBERRY, BEN, Pvt.
1523 N. Webster Street,
Kokomo, Indiana
GURIN, SAMUEL, Sgt.
70 Smith Avenue. N.,
St. Paul, Minnesota
HADDIX, HARRISON, Pvt.
434 Nolan Street,
Flint, Michigan
HALL, HERMAN C, Pvt.
270 Theodore Street,
Detroit, Michigan
— 193 —
Van Wert, Ohio
55 Prospect Street, Milwaukee, Wis.
Portage, Wis.
Pennsylvania Avenue, Independence, Kan.
'.'Address Unknown
HANNENBERG. JOSEPH, Pvt.
1055-3rd Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
HEMPSTED, GEORGE, Pvt.
315 E. 9th Street,
Flint, Michigan
HENSLER, HARRY E., Sgt.
204 Schuylkill Avenue,
Pottsville, Pennsylvania
HERKIMER, KENNITH W., Pvt.
Maybee, Michigan
HEWITT, WILLIAM G., Sgt.
R. F. D. No. 5,
Allegan, Michigan
HINTZ, HENRY O., Pvt. 1st CI.
II Leverette Street,
Detroit, Michigan
HUNT. ROBERT L., Pvt.
101 Mitchell Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
HUNTER, HAROLD, Pvt.
122 E. 5th Street,
Flint, Michigan
HURRY, HARRY, Pvt.
505 Prospect Street,
Flint, Michigan
JOHNSON, LOVELL A., Sgt.
86 Lincoln Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
KAZMIERCZAK, ANDREW, Pvt.
1511 Mitchell Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
KELLAR, ALVIN L., Bugler
313-6th Street,
Detroit, Michigan
KELLY, ROBERT J., Pvt.
80 Piquette Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
KELLY, THOMAS J., Pvt.
488 Clairmont Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
KENBEEK, LAWRENCE, Pvt.
650 Mullet Street,
Detroit, Michigan
KING, EBEN E., Pvt.
35 Dexter Street,
Woonsocket, Rhode Island
KING, GEORGE, Pvt.
75 Lincoln Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
KNOLL, RICHARD A., Pvt. 1st CI.
R. F. D. No. 3,
Vassar, Michigan
KRESS, LEO F., Pvt.
St. Johns, Michigan
KROLL, GUSTAF, Pvt
Butler Street,
Caro, Michigan
KRZIZESKI, ELMER, Pvt.
1044 Ferry Avenue, East,
Detroit, Michigan
KUHN, ALBERT, Pvt.
869 Belmont Avenue,
Hamtramck, Michigan
KYLE, FRANK, Pvt.
Milwaukee, Oregon
LEONARD, CLARENCE MARTIN, Pvt.
Kingston, Pennsylvania
LOOMAS, BERT N., Pvt.
808 Elizabeth Street,
Flint, Michigan
LYNESS, FLOYD R., Pvt.
1523 Detroit Street,
Flint, Michigan
MACHIN, HORACE A., Pvt.
674 Ferry Park Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
MACKELLAR, MALCOLM L., Corp.
186 Philadelphia Avenue, East,
Detroit, Michigan
MANN, HERMAN O., Pvt. 1st CI.
Shattuc, Illinois
MARCOFF, ELIA, Saddler
647 Chene Street,
Detroit, Michigan
MARTIN, CYRIL J., Pvt.
208 State Street,
Camden New Jersey
MASSEY, WILLIAM T.. Pvt.
2128 "G" Street,
Granite City, Illinois
McAULIFFE, WILLIAM, Pvt.
440 Ridge Street,
Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
McGOWAN, JOHN, Pvt.
241 Clinton Street,
New York City, New York
McGregor, niles r., Pvt.
R. F. D. No. 2,
Mt. Carmel, Illinois
McLEAN, GEORGE, Pvt.
496 Putman Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
McMAHON, Leslie A., Pvt.
40 Hogarth Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
McMANUS, WILLIAM L., Corp.
510 Jefferson Avenue East,
Detroit, Michigan
MEINKE, WILLIAM C, Pvt.
896 Holcomb Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
MENZIES, LESLIE J., Sgt.
Yale, Michigan
MICHALSKI, STANLEY, Pvt.
10 Person Street,
Buffalo, New York
MIKULA, MIKE, ?vt.
72 Peterson Street,
Detroit, Michigan
MILLER, HARRY P., Horseshoer
703 Walnut Street,
Saginaw, Michigan
MILLER, RAYMOND R., Pvt.
1417 Avenue "C,"
Flint, Michigan
MOGLEN, BENJAMIN, Pvt.
235 Atkinson Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
MOLTECK, MORRIS, Pvt.
1198 St. Antoine Street,
Detroit, Michigan
MORGIA, DOMINICO E., Cook
4552 W. Jefferson Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
MURRAY, WILLIAM R., Pvt.
713-14th Street,
Detroit, Michigan
NALECZ, LEON, Cook
285 Garfield Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
NICKOLIS, WILLIAM, Pvt.
193 Monroe Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
NOLAN, JAMES T., Stable Sgt.
48 St. Johns Park, High Gate,
London, N., England
NORWICH, ROBERT J., Pvt. 1st CI.
130 McDonnell Avenue,
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
O'DONNELL, PATRICK M., Pvt.
172 Hogarth Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
O'NEILL, JOHN D., Pvt.
529 Fairview Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
ORLEMAN, THOMAS T., Pvt.
424-1 2th Street,
Detroit, Michigan
PAPKE, JOHN R., Pvt. 1st CI.
667 Wabash Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
PAPPATHEODORE, NICHOLIS.Pvt.lstCl.
27 Monroe Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
PATTERSON, GEORGE J., Mec.
431 Canton Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
PATZKOWSKY, WILLIE B., Pvt.
Fairview, Oklahoma
RANKIN, DON C, Bugler
313-6th Street,
Detroit, Michigan
REDMON, JOHN A., Pvt.
896 Garfield Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
RINEHART, GEORGE D., Corp.
257 N. Grand Avenue,
Kittanning, Pennsylvania
RONAN, ORVA, Pvt.
Jennings, Michigan
ROSE, SAMUEL, Pvt.
Princeton, Michigan
ROSENAY, ARTHUR G., Pvt.
191 Cleveland Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
ROSSENBERG, MORRIS, Pvt.
117 S. 8th Street,
Brooklyn, New York
SAUNDERS, JOHN E., Pvt. 1st CI.
65 Arthur Avenue N.,
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
SCANLON, JAMES S., Pvt.
948- 14th Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
SCAVONE, MIKE, Horseshoer
331 Illinois Street,
Detroit, Michigan
SCHLICHTER, ORLIE A., Pvt.
921-12th Street,
Portsmouth, Ohio
SCHNEIDER, RAYMOND C, Pvt.
103 Poplar Street,
Detroit, Michigan
SCHULTZ, STEPHEN L., Corp.
424 High Street, W.,
Detroit, Michigan
SEBASTIAN, DAVID W., Corp.
1511 Seymour Street,
Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
SHARP, BENJAMIN J., Pvt.
718 S. Henry Street,
Bay City, Michigan
SHERRILL, TROY J., Pvt.
R. F. D. No. 6,
Statesville, North Carolina
SMITH, FORREST A., Pvt.
801 Carlisle Avenue,
Dayton, Ohio
SMITH, GROVER H., Corp.
Nokomis, Illinois
SOPER, JOHN T., Pvt.
903 Scott Street,
Covington, Kentucky
SPRINGER, GEORGE A., Pvt.
705 Hill Street,
Sidney, Ohio
STADLER, CLARENCE L., Pvt.
308 Trumbull Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
STEVENSON, JOSEPH, Pvt.
Pickford, Michigan
STEWART, THOMAS, Pvt. 1st CI.
300 Hague Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
STORK, BARNEY E., Corp.
374 E. Lafayette Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
STRAUB, FLOYD E., Corp.
192 Harmon Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
STUDER, JOHN A., Pvt.
77 Wooster Street,
Norwalk, Ohio
SUGDEN, MILTON D., Pvt.
Cass City, Michigan
SZANDZIK, EDWARD, Pvt.
1210 Jos Campau Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
SZCZERBIK, JOSEPH, Pvt.
965 Harper Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
TARN, JOSHUA, Pvt. 1st CI.
Box No. 365,
W. Frankfort County, Illinois
TERRY, ROY E., Pvt.
R. F. D. No. 2,
Orion, Michigan
THOMAS, JOHN, Corp.
525 Larned Street, E.,
Detroit, Michigan
THOMPSON, WILLIAM G., Corp.
704 Fourth Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
TILLITSON, LEON, Pvt.
R. F. D. No. 2,
Portland, Michigan
TITTLE, CLAUDE L., Pvt. 1st CI.
1154 Lincoln Avenue, W.,
Toledo, Ohio
TREIBER, JESSE E., Corp.
Unionville, Michigan
TRINKLEIN, TRAUGOTT, Pvt. 1st CI.
R. F. D. No. 3,
Vassar, Michigan
TRUBOW, PHILLIP H., Pvt. 1st CI.
175 Michigan Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
UFLAND, GLEN J., Pvt.
48 Pitcher Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
ULRICH, PETER. Pvt.
St. Johns, Michigan
VERGA, RALPH B., Pvt.
301 N. Main Street,
Muncy, Pennsylvania
VERRY, GEORGE L., Supply Sgt.
195 Webb Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
VOYTKO, JOHN L., 1st Sgt.
Box No. 108,
Forbes Road, Pennsylvania
WARNER, CLAYTON R., Pvt.
736 Fairview Avenue,
Grand Rapids, Michigan
WARNOCK, ROBERT, Pvt.
705 Fourth Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
WATKINS, HARKER S., Corp.
1000 Lawton Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
WATKINS, WILLIAM A., Pvt.
Tifton, Georgia
WENTWORTH, ELMER R., Pvt.
531 Third Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
WINKLER, EMIL, Pvt.
887 Bessmore Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
WROBEL, OTTO W. T., Pvt.
195 Hendricks Street,
Detroit, Michigan
YOUNG, GEORGE T., Sgt.
357 Merrick Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
YOUNG, JOE, Pvt.
52 Spruce Street,
Detroit, Michigan
YOUNGS, CECIL E., Pvt.
Peck, Michigan
ZAKRZEWSKI, HARRY, Pvt.
1803 Chopin Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
D BATTERY
HICKS, HUNTER M., Captain Nashville, Tenn.
LaMAR, CLIFFORD M., Captain Bariboo, Wis.
BROWN, STACY L., First Lieutenant 707 Woodward Avenue, Beloit, Wis.
GEMUEND, HARRY H., Second Lieutenant 212 West Washington Street, Ionia, Mich.
THOMPSON, ANDREW H., Second Lieutenant 58 Ontario Street, Cohoes, N. Y.
ACKERMAN, TRUEMAN E., Pvt. ATHANS, GUST G., Pvt. BARTSCH, PAUL F., Pvt.
239 John R. Street, 102 Cherry Street, Houston, Texas
Detroit, Michigan Detroit, Michigan BEACH VALENTINE L., Corp.
AMBROSE. ROLL A., Sgt. '^'^^.'i^^i??' LUTHER H., Sgt. R. F D
Tekonsha, Michigan "6 Aldme Square, Pittsford, Michigan
ANDERSON, GROVER L., Pvt. ATRA^'^P^FTFR °Pvt BEACH, GAROLD E., Pvt.
Union City, Indiana sliGarJeld Avenue, PTf me°!nSk
AIMONE, GEORGE, Pvt. Detroit, Michigan LakevlUe, Indiana
2481 C Street, AUSUM, EARL J., Mech. BENNETT, CURRY A., Pvt.
Calumet, Michigan Rosscommon, Michigan New Smyrna, Florida
ARGOTSINGER, GEORGE H., Pvt. " BANDANZA, PETER, Adlr. BEGEL, CARSON M., Corp.
1708 South 6th Street, 88 Russel Street, 406 Ward Street,
Harlon, Iowa Detroit, Michigan Flint, Michigan
ARNOLD, EDWIN F., Pvt 1st CI. BARTHOLF, ELMER E., Pvt 1st CI. BERKEMEIER, HENRY L., Pvt.
832 Prairie Avenue, 37 Selden Avenue, 209 West Nineteenth Street,
Decatur, Illinois Detroit, Michigan Cairrington, Kentucky
— 194— ■
BOETTCHER, MATIN, Pvt.
R. F. D. No. 1,
Brant, Michigan
BOSTICK, ELMER H.. Pvt.
219 Spruce Street,
Detroit, Michigan
BOZE. CLIFFORD, Corp.
Box 58,
Davidson, Michigan
BRADY, FRED K., Pvt.
1538 Root Street,
Flint, Michigan
BREWER, LEONARD, Pvt. I cl.
96 Grove Street.
Wyandotte, Michigan.
BRISBAY, SYLVESTER, Pvt.
1171 Gilbert Avenue,
Cincinnati, Ohio.
BROWN, JOSEPH M., Cook
842 Lillibridge Street,
Detroit, Michigan.
BUNDY, JOHN F., Pvt.
General Delivery,
Swartz Creek, Michigan.
BURNS, ALFRED L., Corp.
1218 16th Street,
Detroit, Michigan
BUTLER, HERBERT W., Sgt.
1347 Trumbull Avenue.
Detroit, Michigan.
CAPONIGRI, ANTHONY., Pvt.
6729 S. Hermitage Avenue,
Chicago, III.
CARPENTER, WILLIAM C, Sgt.
Belleville, Michigan
CARSON, JOHN S., Pvt. 1 cl.
1442 Maryland Avenue,
Flint, Michigan
CATSHELL, JOHN. Pvt.
270 Watson Street,
Detroit, Michigan
CHESTE, PATRICK, Pvt.
106 Elm Street,
Danbury, Connecticut
CHRYSLER, HARRY M., Sgt.
574 Porter Street,
Detroit, Michigan
CLARK, JAY, Pvt.
1 1 Mulberry Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
COOLIDGE, GEORGE W., Pvt. 1 cl.
R. F. D. 1,
Wellsboro, Pennsylvania
COOPER, FRANK H., Corp.
323 Porter Street,
Detroit, Michigan
CORZE, TONY, Pvt.
824 Cambridge Avenue,
Chicago, Illinois
CORBIN, OSCAR F., Pvt. 1 Cl.
240 8th Street,
Detroit, Michigan
CURTISS, OREN N.. Pvt. 1 Cl.
402 Butternut Street,
Detroit, Michigan
CRITES, WILLIAM, Pvt.
P. O. Box 197,
Sedgwick, Colorado
DANOZON, JOHN J., Pvt.
769 Russel Street,
Detroit, Michigan
DAVIS, FRANK S., Pvt.
144 Richfield Road,
Flint, Michigan
DOMPS, MICHEAL, Pvt.
1005 East Palmer Street,
Detroit, Michigan
DERES2EWSKI, ALEX., Pvt.
1610 Iroquois Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
DEITRICH, HERBERT A., Pvt.
11 Birmingham Avenue,
Guelph, Ontario
DONBROWSKI, STANLEY, Pvt.
391-33rd Street,
Detroit, Michigan
DORMAN, WILBUR C, Pvt.
R. F. D. No. 4,
Caro, Michigan
DOUGHERTY, JACK M., Pvt.
1043 Monroe Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
DUNNING, CLARENCE S., Pvt. 1st Cl.
R. F. D. No. 5,
Gladwin, Michigan
EHRMAN, RAYMOND E., Pvt.
486 Manistique Street,
Detroit, Michigan
ENOS, GEORGE E., Pvt.
2211 Whirlpool Street,
Niagara, New York
ERKFITZ, LOUIS H., Sgt.
263 LaBresse Street,
Detroit, Michigan
EVANS, OWEN W., Pvt.
415} 2 Detroit Street,
Flint. Michigan
FOLON, JASPER S., Pvt.
826 Margarette Street,
Flint, Michigan
FOLSOM, LEWIS, Pvt. Ut Cl.
Center Lake, Michigan
FORD, CHARLES B., Pvt. 1st Cl.
1 Comb Street,
Southbridge, Massachusetts
FULLER. HARRY M., Pvt.
420 Grand Avenue,
Grand Rapids Michigan
GARLAND. WALTER S., Pvt. Ut Cl.
500 Summer Place,
Knoxville, Tennessee
GASINSKI, TEEPIL, Pvt.
1944 Chopin Street,
Detroit, Michigan
GAUMER, PAUL H., Bugler
Clayton, Michigan
GAISER, GORDON H., Bugler
46 Sycamour Street,
Detroit, Michigan
GELSLIGHTER, HAROLD P., Pvt.
187 Lyall Avenue,
Rochester, New York
GELLISPIE, WILLIAM D., Pvt.
General Delivery,
Pewamo, Michigan
GERHARD, ANTHONY J., Pvt.
958 Bewick Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
GOKEY, CLARENCE I., Pvt.
180 Fifth Street,
Detroit, Michigan
GOODCHILD, GEORGE, Pvt.
R. F. D. No. 2,
Caro, Michigan
GORA, WALTER J., Pvt.
941 E. WARREN Street,
Detroit, Michigan
GOTTSCHALK, HERBERT, Pvt.
R. F. D. No. 1,
Port Austin, Michigan
GRAMAS, JAMES J., Pvt.
454 Crobsy Street,
Grand Rapids, Michigan
GRANT, ALMA E., Pvt.
33 Brighton Avenue,
Highland Park, Michigan
GANE, HOMER L., Pvt.
121 Candler Avenue,
Highland Park. Michigan
GRETTENBERGER, FRED C, Pvt.
732- 15th Street,
Detroit, Michigan
GROSSMAN, LEO. Corp.
232 Hubert Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
GURSKEY, CHESTER, Pvt.
123 N. 5th Street,
Detroit, Michigan
HAMILTON, DONALD M., Pvt.
137 W. Milwaukee Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
HANDLEY, ALEXANDER C, Pvt.
368 J'2 Grand River Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
HANKS, EDGAR S., Pvt.
141 Smith Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
HANNA, ELMER J , Corp.
St. Louis, Michigan
HAZZENZAHL, George C, Pvt.
R. F. D. No. 1,
Utica. Michigan
HENRY, ISAAC M., Pvt.
180 W. Baltimore Street,
Detroit, Michigan
HERBERT, EARL, Pvt.
513 5th Street,
Detroit, Michigan
HERTEL, JOHN, Corp.
329 Warren West,
Detroit, Michigan
HOBBS, ROY G., Pvt.
Wayne, Michigan
HODSON, ALVA L., Corp.
R. F. D. No. 2,
Hillsdale, Michigan
HUSTED, WILLIAM E.. Pvt.
West Branch, Michigan
HYDEN, ARTHUR, Pvt.
650 Chenc Street,
Detroit, Michigan
— 195 —
INCE, WALDO W., Pvt.
R. F. D. 5,
Alvord, Texas
JACKOUMIS, PETER, Pvt.
1300 Adams Street,
Gary, Indiana
JOHNSON. ETHERIDGE C, Pvt.
313 N. Third Street,
E. Nashville, Tennessee
JOHNSTON, FORD S., Corp.
426 East 50th Place,
Chicago, Illinois
JONES, EVERETT H., Pvt.
Meden, Tennessee
JONES, JOSEPH L., Pvt.
General Delivery,
Onekama, Michigan
KELLY. PATRICK P., Pvt.
3515 Robin Street,
Flint, Michigan
KLEIN, JOHN, Pvt.
R. F. D. No. 1,
New Lothrop, Michigan
KNAPP, FRED A., Pvt.
1921 Woodside Avenue,
Bay City, Michigan
KURKOWSKI, MARION, Pvt. Ist CL
463 Garfield Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
LACEY, PATRICK H., Pvt.
2021 Stanford Avenue,
Flint, Michigan
LADECK, FIDER, Pvt.
872 Camerson Street,
Detroit, Michigan
LaMONTAGNE, GEORGE, Pvt.
213 Pine Hill Avenue,
Cheboygan, Michigan
LAURIE, GEORGE, Pvt.
16 Allen Street,
Aberdeen, Scotland
LEE, ROBERT E., Pvt.
4016 St. Elmo Avenue,
St. Elmo, Tennessee
LEHR, ALLEN F., Pvt.
217 Ida Street,
Berwick. Pennsylvania
LAVANTINE, HARRY A., Corp.
438 Hudson Avenue,
Albany, New York
LEWIS, La VERNE J., Pvt.
Jonesville, Michigan
LORANGER, FRANK R., Pvt
R. F. D. No. 6,
Hemlock, Michigan
LUNDQUIST, ROY E., Pvt.
533 Howard Street,
Detroit, Michigan
MACKEY, WILLIAM F., Pvt.
311 Pallister Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
MALIM, HERBERT S., Sgt.
106 Mack Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
McCLAIN, ROY D., Sgt.
R. F. D. No. 1,
Farmingdale, Illinois
McCRACKEN, RAYMOND C, Pvt.
507 Cedar Street,
Sault St. Marie, Michigan
McGINNIS, GEO. A , Pvt.
R. F. D. No. 15,
Newberry, Indiana
McWATTERS, RICHARD G., Pvt.
2283 East Jefferson Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
MEADE, WALTER E., Pvt.
1228 Washburn Avenue,
Topeka, Kansas
MILES, FRANK G., Sgt.
425 Vermont Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
MILLER, DUDLEY P., Sgt.
315 Heath St.,
Logansport, Ind.
MILLER, FREDERICK B., Pvt.
Lexington, Michigan
MISENHIMER, GROVER C, Pvt
General Delivery,
Jonesboro, III.
MONTIE, EDWARD C, Pvt.
722 St. Claire Ave.,
Detroit, Mich.
MONAHAM, EDWARD V., Mech.
Walkerton, Ontario, Canada
MURRAY, ROY C, Pvt.
Highgate, Ontario. Canada
NEFF, ALVIN L., Sgt.
R. F. D.,
Jamestown, Ind.
NELSON, HARRY J., Mech. SIGG, HENRY, Pvt. TRYAN, ALBERT, Pvt.
137 West Michigan Ave., 1226 Delaware Avenue, Escanaba, Michigan
Marquette, Michigan Detroit, Michigan URDA ANTHONY Sgt
NEWMAN, RICHARD T., Pvt. SIMONICH, JOHN F., Hrs. 114 Gilbert Avenue, '
407 Drexel Ave., 40 County Road. Detroit, Michigan
CT,?,7°rJ^^^CV r Pvt °'"°'^' '^''='''^^" VANDEN BUSSCHE, OMER, Pvt.
?^, i. J E ' SIDLER, PAUL B., Sgt. 560 Holcomb Avenue,
303 Howard St., IO95 Brooklyn Avenue, Detroit, Michigan
Cadillac, Mich. Detroit, Michigan VANnF VKTRF FRANK F Pvt
PALMATEER, MYRON F., Pvt. c,.,„c«»t T,Ax,T,,r r, VANDEVEIRE, FRANK F, Pvt.
641 Michigan Ave SIMPSON, HARRY, Pvt. 11935 Eggleston Avenue,
Detroit Michigan ' ^^^ Tillman Avenue, Chicago, Illinois
PRESTON WILLIAM C Pvt Detroit, Michigan VAN LEEUWEN, GASTON, Pvt.
2117 Joliet Ave., ' SMITH, BENJAMIN E., Cook, 17 Belvidere Avenue,
Seattle, Washington 46 Hazel Street, Detroit, Michigan
PROEBER, HAROLD H., Corp. Detroit, Michigan VROOMAN, LOUIS J., Pvt.
R. F. D. No. 14, SMITH, EDWARD R., Pvt. 245 Petoskey Avenue,
Caldonia, Wisconsin 1823 Parsons Avenue, Detroit, Michigan
PULLING lOHN H Pvt ^^^' ^'- ^°^'^- Illinois WALES, BENJAMIN H., Pvt.
658 Tabor St, ' ' SMITH, GLENN H, Corp. R. F. D. No. 1,
Adrian, Michigan Burr Oak, Michigan Decatur, Illinois
QUARTERS, NORMAN C, Pvt. SOBEL, Ben B., Pvt. WALTHARD, FRED, Pvt.
616 North Front St., 2988 East Grand Boulevard, 237 Millville Avenue,
Marquette, Mich. ' Detroit, Michigan Hamilton, Ohio
REIDSEMA, CHESTER D., Pvt. STINER, ROY, Pvt. WARD, LAWRENCE A., Sgt.
24 South Monroe Ave., 90 Cascade Street, 1416 Myra Avenue,
Columbus, Ohio Detroit, Michigan Los Angeles, California
REILLY, VICTOR A., Pvt. STOUTENBURG, HERBERT N., Sgt. WAUCHTER, WALTER M., Pvt.
406 Warren, West.,' 339 Warren West, 1512 Garfield Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan ' Detroit, Michigan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
REINHOLDT, GUSTAV A,, Pvt. STRACHE, ELMER B., Cook, WEIDENBACH, ARTHUR, Pvt.
1647 Military Ave., ' 60 Goodwin Avenue, 839 Fisher Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan ' Detroit, Michigan Detroit, Michigan
ROWLSOn! ERNEST D., Pvt. SULLIVAN, DANIEL V., Pvt. WILKINSON, ALVIN, Pvt.
Addison Michigan ' 60 National Avenue, 406 Jefferson Avenue,
SANDBERG, ROY E., Pvt. Detroit, Michigan Detroit, Michigan
225 Pennsylvania Ave., SCHRAMM, MAX E., JR., Pvt. WOITEEAK, JOHN, Hrs.
Jacksonville, 111. ' Old Mystic, Connecticut 335 Michigan Avenue,
SANS MICHEL Pvt SUTKUS, HENRY F., Pvt. Detroit, Michigan
Ottawa Lake, Michigan 674 Rhons Avenue, WOLCOTT, FORREST, Pvt.
SARTUP MYRON Bglr Detroit, Michigan Roscommon, Michigan
Fort Jarvis, New York SWARTZ, CLAUD M., Pvt. WOOD, MERTON C, Pvt.
Qfurvii-ivrnnDF r-ioi i <-■„,„ 81 Pine Street, 4 Stevens Place,
So n i9 • ■ <^^^^ ^- *^°'^P- Newark, Ohio Ionia, Michigan
519 Baldwin Ave., ' * ^
Detroit, Michigan TAYLOR, THOMAS E., Mech. YANCHUCK, ALEXIS, Pvt.
SCHULZ, CONRAD P., Pvt. 2? Lysander Avenue, 1333 12th Street,
538 Adelaide St Detroit, Michigan Detroit, Micnigan
Detroit, Mich. ' TIGHE, JOSEPH L., Pvt. YOUNG, ROBERT J., Pvt.
SEYMOUR, EDWIN O., Pvt. H Oak Street, 221 Magazine Street,
Cascade, Virginia Detroit, Michigan Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
SHELL, WALTER E., Pvt. TOUSH, CLYDE W., Corp. ZELMANOWITZ, SAMUEL, Pvt.
186 15th Street, 504 119th Street, 291 Pine Street,
Detroit, Michigan Whiting, Indiana Lockport, N. Y.
SHELLENBARGER, WHITNEY B., Pvt. TREADWAY, THOMAS, Pvt. ZYSKI, JOHN, Pvt.
Ill Lane Street, General Delivery, 1061 Ferry Street,
Hudson, Michigan Barbourville, Kentucky Detroit, Michigan
E BATTERY
WHEELER, CARLTON L care of Adj. Gen., Washington, D. C.
BISHOP, RICHARD E., First Lieutenant 508 Whites Avenue, Marion, Ind.
SPARKS, HARRY G., First Lieutenant 416 Second Street, Jackson, Mich.
SCOTT, MORRIS, Second Lieutenant Address Unknown
AHEARN, EDWARD W., Corp. BENEDICT, PETER, Pvt. BRAND, FRED C, Pvt.
Port Austin, Michigan 1111 Person Street, 18 Wing Place,
ALBERG ANDREW R., Pvt. Lansing, Michigan Detroit, Michigan
Scranton, Kansas BENSETT, BERNARD, Pvt. BRANDT, FRED, Pvt.
AM4TJM nvnwnv » v„* 3*' Holcomb Avenue, R. F. D. No. 6,
AM^N, GEORGE R., Pvt. Detroit, Michigan Millford, Michigan
MindenCity, Michigan BERKFIELD, ELMER L., Pvt. BRYK, PETER, Pvt.
533 East Franklin Street, 1317 Avondale Street,
AMOTO, JOE, Pvt. Huntington, Indiana Toledo, Ohio
ri.^f?«^"Mfil?Jir^'^'' BERNIERI, PASQUALE, Pvt. BUCKLEY, THOMAS, Pvt.
uetroit, Micnigan gj^ Riopelle Street, 1272 Wabash Avenue,
ANDERSON, ALEXANDER D., Pvt. Detroit, Michigan Detroit, Michigan
l^^? **"i,^'L':'''' BESSOLO, PETER, Pvt. BURR, HARRY C, Pvt.
Detroit, Michigan UOy Central Avenue, Tawas City, Michigan
ANDERSON, CARL E., Pvt. Flint, Michigan BUTLER WILLIAM J. Pvt.
56 Cardoni Street, SETTLES, RAYMOND R., Pvt. 721 Lafayette Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan 87 pord Avenue, Grand Rapids, Michigan
ANDERSON, RAY E., Pvt. Highland Park, Michigan CAMPBELL, JOHN A., Pvt.
Beacon, Iowa BEUKEMA, HARRY J., Pvt. 324 Stevenson, Street,
ANTONELLI, GUISEPPE, Pvt. 1 CI. 943 Dunham Street Flint, Michigan
484 Alexandrine Avenue, Grand Rapids, Michigan CAMPOSANO, BENEDDETTO, Pvt.
Detroit, Michigan BINDER, GEORGE G., Pvt. 1st CI. 1104 Vernon Parker Place,
ASHLEY, GEORGE H., Pvt. Rockford, Michigan Chicago, Illinois
604 Neil Avenue, BISHOP, RICHARD E., 1st. Lt. CANNEY, STEPHEN J., Pvt. 1st CI.
Helena Montana 508 Whites Avenue, 257 Vermont Street,
^.„,-,r J ^ Marion, Indiana Detroit, Michigan
^''^'p^'o'^ox^b'^"'- ' '''• BLACK, WILLIAM J., Pvt. CARL, MAX L., Sgt.
Norway, Michigan 5,- wV^' ?°J-'' 516 East Lafayette Avenue,
BAILEY, WALTER E., Pvt. 1 C. „, a^r RunoT pTh p t "' ""
R. F. D. No. 1, Box 16, BLAIR, RUDOLPH H., Pvt. CARTER, LEWIS A., Pvt.
Duncannon, Pa. Emmet, Michigan New Lexington, Ohio
BALL, GEORGE V., Pvt. 1 CI. ^°^n?o^,k,''^J^?^^'' L' ^Z^' *" ^'' CASE, CHESTER H., Pvt.
756 Vermont Street, rhi?»^„ lir^^"™'' ^ '' 147 P"ry Avenue
Detroit, Michigan Chicago, lUmois. Detroit, Michigan
BALL, LESTER C, Pvt. 1st CI. ^°^l2TS.\.tsS^?'''' ' ''"'• '''' ^'^ CASTLE, WALTER E., Pvt.
Byron Center, Michigan Detroit, Michigan Villa Ridge, Illinois
BARLOW, ALBERT C, Pvt. BRACKETT, THOMAS A., Pvt. 1st CI CHADWICK, ELLIOTT B., Pvt.
6110 Stoney Island Avenue, 2819 Industrial Avenue, 335 Taylor Alley,
Chicago, Illinois Flint, Michigan Ionia, Michigan
— 196 —
CHAN NINO, GEORGE C, Corp.
2875 East Grand Boulevard.
Detroit, Michigan
CHISNALL, CHARLES. Pvt.
124 Railway Street,
Woodstock. Canada
CHRISTIE, WILLIAM, Bglr.
204 Avery Avenue.
Detroit, Michigan
CIARAMILLO, JOHN. Pvt.
164 Livingston Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
CIPPONERI, VITO, Pvt.
407 Lafayette Avenue, East,
Detroit, Michigan
COLASANTI, VINCENT, Cook,
614 Chene Street,
Detroit. Michigan
COPELAND. RAY H.. Corp.
Grindstone City. Michigan
COLANDRELLO, FELIX F.. Pvt.
24 Minetto Lane,
New York, N. Y.
COPPENS. RICHARD. Pvt.
Hermensville, Michigan
CORBETT. JAMES A., Pvt.
1070 Fischer Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
COST ANTING. TINDARO, Pvt.
1030 Monterey Street,
San Antonio, Texas
CZARNECKI, KAZIMIERZ, Hs.
1149 Chene Street,
Detroit, Michigan
DALLACE, DOMANICKO, Pvt.
Company House No. 5,
Marquette, Michigan
DANOWSKI, JOHN F., Sgt.
146 Hale Street,
Detroit, Michigan
DARMODY, LOUIS C.Pvt. 1 CI.
Care Brainard Hospital.
Alma, Michigan
DECHERT, MILTON, Pvt.
702 Bellevue, Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
DE FOOR, ALFONS, Pvt.
P. O. Box 64,
Elmira, Ohio
DEVLIN, JOHN J., Pvt.
1113 Trumbull Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
D'HULSTER, HECTOR. Pvt.
118 Helen Street,
Detroit, Michigan
DILLE, WILLIAM E., Pvt.
47 Livingstone Avenue,
Dayton, Ohio
DIPIAZZA, JOE, Pvt.
380 Center Street,
Ionia, Michigan
DOMMER, ALBERT F., Pvt.
1181 Bellevue Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
DRURY, BLIGH. Pvt.
R. F. D. No. 3,
Marion, Michigan
DUDICK, BERNARD A., Pvt.
Stanwood, Michigan
DUFFEY, GEORGE E., Pvt.
1233 15th Street,
Detroit, Michigan
DUNCAN, ALEXANDER, Corp.
923 Decker Street,
Flint, Michigan
DUNCAN, CHARLES O., Pvt.
R. F. D. No. 1, Box 56,
Dillsboro, Indiana
FARICH, EVERETT J., Pvt. 1st CL
372 Elizabeth Street West,
Detroit, Michigan
EDSON, FLOYD P., Pvt.
Belding, Michigan
EIDEN, ANDREW E., Pvt., 1st CI.
525 Humbolt Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
EMERY, CHARLES, JR., Pvt. 1st CI.
1236 Belvidere Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
EVANOFF, CONST ANTINE, Pvt.
373 Ferry Street,
Detroit, Michigan
EWALD, OTTO F., Pvt.
963 24th Street
Detroit, Michigan
EWING, NELSON H., Corp.
247 Chestnut Avenue,
Springfield, Ohio
FAGAN, DELBERT D., Pvt.
Lindsey, Wisconsin
FELDPAUSH, JOHN A., Pvt.
598 Chene Street,
Detroit, Michigan
FERRARA, GUISEPPE, Pvt.
197 Scholes Street,
Brooklyn, New York
FINDLEY, CHARLES B., Pvt.
622 10th Avenue,
Pitcairn, Pennsylvania
FINDOR, ADOLPH W., Corp.
93 Lawton Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
FOX, RAY W., Sgt.
143 Lower Market Street,
Milton, Pennsylvania
FREDERIKSEN, FREDERICK W., Pvt.
1101 15th Street,
Detroit, Michigan
FREEDMAN, BARNEY, Corp.
684 Gratiot Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
FREEBURG, CARL J., Pvt. Ist CI.
1022 Stockton Street
Flint, Michigan
FREITAG, GUSTAV, Pvt., Ist CI.
57 South Street,
Rensselear, New York
GERACE, ANTHONY, Bugler,
521 South Division Street,
Buffalo, New York
GOLDFARB, SAMUEL, Corp.
1490 Russell Street,
Detroit, Michigan
GORDON, BERT J., Pvt.
224 Oregon Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
GORTON, MAX L., 2nd Lt.
1427 Stout Street,
Denver, Colorado
GOSCZYNSKI, STANISLAW, Hs.
80 Windham Place,
Detroit, Michigan
GRENKOWITZ, PAUL B., Corp.
576 Gratiot Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
GRENFELL, RICHARD J., Pvt.
P. O. Box 57,
Osceola, Michigan
HACKETT, ALBERT J., Pvt.
R. F. D. No. 2,
Ionia, Michigan
HACKETT, EDWARD K., Pvt.
R. F. D. No. 2,
Ionia, Michigan
HANES, GORDON E., Pvt.
2380 Lafayette Boulevard,
Detroit, Michigan
HARRIS, HOWARD G., Pvt.
Scudder P. O.,
Pelee Island. Canada
HARSCH, JOHN W., Pvt.
R. F. D. No. 3,
South Haven, Michigan
HART, LAUREN J., Pvt.
R. F. D. No. 1,
Hagaman, New York
HERGOTT, ALBIN M., Pvt.
382 Palmer Avenue East,
Detroit, Michigan
HESSE, CARL L, Corp.
590 Gratiot Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
HICKS, CECIL v., Chief Mech.
214 Commonwealth Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
HILDRETH, LYMAN D., Pvt.
Grandville, Michigan
HOFER. HAROLD J., Pvt.
R. F. D. No. 2,
North Detroit, Michigan
HOLMES, EMERALD D., Pvt. 1st CI.
Hillman, Michigan
HORVATH, LOUIS, Pvt.
P. O. Box 89,
River Rouge, Michigan
HUBACEK, JOSEPH C, Pvt.
1910 West 47th Street,
Chicago, Illinois
HUDDLESTONE, CARL S., Pvt.
Mancelona, Michigan
HURNS, THOMAS P., Pvt.
2907 Industrial Avenue,
Flint, Michigan
INFANT, HARRY, Sgt.
562 Watson Street,
Detroit, Michigan
IRONSIDE, ALEX. E., Pvt.
1008 Seymour Street,
Sault Ste. Maire, Mich.
ISRAEL. ARTHUR A., Pvt.
688 Wabash Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
— 197 —
JOLOSKY, MICHAEL M., Pvt.
63 Goethe Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
JOHNSON, ROBERT W., Pvt.
1266 Wabash Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
KAMINSKI. JOHN, Pvt.
1035 Dubois Street,
Detroit, Michigan
KANIEWSKl, JOHN, Pvt.
698 Milwaukee Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
KELLAR, GUY M., Pvt.
1019 Seminole Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
KELLY, BURL J., Stab. Sgt.
290 Calvert Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
KELLY. ROY. Pvt.
R. F. D. No. I.
Deckerville. Michigan
KIDDER, ALDEN F., Pvt.
405 Michigan Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
KRYNAK, JOSEPH, Pvt.
P. O. Box 61,
Whitsett, Pa.
KUNOWSKE, CARL F., Corp.
1376 Belvidere Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
LA BARRE, GEORGE N., Mech.
R. F. D. 2.
Gaines, Michigan
LACEY, VAL., Pvt.
2021 Stanford Avenue,
Flint, Michigan
LARRIAR, FRANK E.. Corp.
581 East Milwaukee Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
LARSON, HARRY S., Pvt.
563 St. Jean Street,
Detroit, Michitjan
LEBQWITZ, HARRY, Pvt.
172 East Duquesne Avenue,
Duquesne, Pennsylvania
LEISTNER, BARNEY F., Pvt.
R. F. D. No. 10,
Brownsville. Indiana
LEONARD, VERNE E., Sgt.
Highland, Michigan
LEONARDI, LUIGI, Pvt.
57 Morton Street,
New York, N. Y.
LOMBARDI, TONY, Pvt.
1527 Industrial Avenue,
Flint. Michigan
LOREE, HARRY B., Pvt. 1st CI
328 Hecla Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
LOTTRIDGE, GEORGE, Corp.
Jonesboro, Indiana
LOUVETT, LOUIS W., Pvt.
1344 Baldwin Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
LOVE, ROBERT L., Pvt.
125 Myrtle Street,
Detroit, Michiga.n
LOWISH, ONA H., Corp.
507 Wabash Avenue,
Terre Haute, Indiana
MALONE. ALBERT. Pvt.
562 Watson Street,
Detroit, Michigan
MARLOR, WILLIAM, Pvt.
924 Front Street.
Hancock, Michigan
MAYES, HOWARD S., Cook,
52 Halsey Street,
Astoria, Long Island, New York
MAYEWSKI, JOSEPH, Pvt. 1st CI.
1108 St. Aubin Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
MAZMANIAN. GARABED, Sad.
56 Aubumdale Avenue.
Highland Park, Michigan
MC BRIDE, JASPER, Pvt.
Plainville, Indiana
MC CARTHY, JEREMIAH J., Pvt.
R. F. D. No. 2,
Newport, Michigan
MC NALLY. JOHN V., Pvt.
129 Seventh Avenue,
Altoona, Pennsylvania
MEURER, ERHARD F., Sgt.
463 St. Aubin Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
MORAN. CHARLES W., Sup. Stt
321 North 5th Street,
Grand Haven, Michigan
MORBY. GEORGE, Corp.
709 Mount Clair Avenue.
Detroit, Michigan
MORICONI, PASQUALE C, Pvt.
403 Division Street,
Detroit, Michigan
NAVARRE, CLEATUS S., Pvt.
722 Hubke Street,
Monroe, Michigan
NIESTEMSKI, JOSEPH, Pvt.
667 Warren Avenue East,
Detroit, Michigan
NUSCA, CARMINE, Pvt.
535 West Lincoln Avenue,
Ionia, Michigan
PAGE, WILLIAM E., Pvt.
Willard, Ohio
PARKER, CLYDE R., 1st Sgt.
183 Pine Street,
Fitchburg, Massachusetts
PERRY, LAWRENCE E., Pvt.
330 North Mary Street,
Escanaba, Michigan
PHILLIPS, JOHN H., Pvt.
115 Harrison Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
PHILO, LEO P., Corp.
R. F. D. No. 2,
Union City, Michigan
PILOT, PAUL. Pvt. 1st 01.
626 Palmer Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
QUEASBARTH, HENRY J.. Mech.
107 Scott Street,
Detroit, Michigan
RANZENBERGER, CHRISTIAN E., Corp.
Frankenmuth, Michigan
REICHARD, CLARENCE P., Pvt. 1st CI.
952 Vermont Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
REINECKE, WILLIAM F., Pvt. 1st CI
49 Hendricks Street,
Detroit, Michigan
RICCI, ANGELO P., Pvt.
1000 Toledo Street,
Logansport, Indiana
ROCCO, MICHELE, Pvt.
1121 Flatbush Avenue,
Brooklyn, N. Y.
ROOSE, JULIUS, Hs.
R. F. D. No. 1,
Mt. Pleasant, Michigan
ROWLEY, WILLIAM H., Pvt.
R. F. D. No. 1,
Lake, Michigan
RUPP, PERRY I., Pvt. 1st CI.
2410 ; i Gratiot Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
RUSSELL, THOMAS D., Pvt. 1st CI.
1609 Janes Avenue,
Saginaw, Michigan
RYAN, JAMES J., Cook,
2437 South Troy Street,
Chicago, Illinois
SCHMELZLE, JOHN, Corp.
R. F. D. No. 2,
Highland Park, Michigan
SCHULTZ, ANTHONY A., Bug.
622 St. Aubin Street,
Detroit, Michigan
SCHWEITZER, EDWARD, Pvt.
1494 McClellan Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
SCOTT, MORRIS, 2nd Lt.,
Route No. 4,
Fulton, Kentucky
SHEEHAN, GEORGE V., Pvt.
901 East 7th Street,
Duluth, Minnesota
SILKWOOD, CHARLES H., Pvt.
Nevo, Illinois
SMITH, BENNIE B, Pvt.
Box 301,
Mt. Washington, Missouri
SOULLIER. MARK P., Pvt.
289 Pallister Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
SPARKS, HARRY G., 1st Lt.
416 Second Street,
Jackson, Michigan
STAHL, EDWARD P., Pvt.
Navarre, Ohio
STANEK, LOUIS, Pvt.
R. F. D. No. 4,
East Jordan, Michigan
STEVENS, HERBERT, Pvt.
316 East Walnut Street,
Kalamazoo, Michigan
STRUBANK, JOHN W., Pvt.
423 Maple Street,
Detroit, Michigan
SULLIVAN, THOMAS, Pvt.
Box 389,
Coalinga, California
SZYNISZEWSKI, STEFAN, Pvt.
697 Grandy Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
TAVA, OTTO L., Pvt.
513 James Street,
Ludington, Michigan
THURMOND, HENRY D., Cook,
2102 North 19th Street,
East St. Louis, Illinois
TIGHE, GEORGE F., Mess Sgt.
201 South Madison Street,
Bay City, Michigan
TROTTER, GEORGE D., Pvt.
1229 16th Street,
Detroit, Michigan
UNGER, JOSEPH, Pvt.
509 South First Street,
Rockford. Illinois
VALANIDAS. PANGIOTIS A., Pvt.
575 Watson Street,
Detroit, Michigan
VAN DER VREKEN, RENE, Pvt.
R. F. D. No. 2,
North Detroit, Michigan
VON DETTE, LEO, Sgt.
711 North Fayette Street,
Saginaw, Michigan
WADOWSKI, ALEXANDER, Pvt. 1st CI.
184 Findlay Street,
Detroit, Michigan
WALLACE, JAMES S., Pvt.
364 Lycaster Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
WALRAVEN, HENRY J., Pvt.
190 Garadian Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
WALTERS, JOHN. Sgt.
500 Pingree Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
WALTERS, WILLIAM R., Sgt.
420 Brainard Street,
Detroit, Michigan
WARNER, FRANK L., Pvt.
197 East North Street,
East Palestine, Ohio
WARNECKE, ARMAND E., Pvt.
R F. D. No. 2,
Cleman, Wisconsin
WASKO, NICHOLAS, Pvt.
1899 Duss Avenue,
Ambridge, Pennsylvania
WHEELER, CARLTON L., Capt.
Summerville, Georgia
WILSON, FRANK, Pvt.
396 Congress Street East,
Detroit, Michigan
WHITNEY, VERNON R., Pvt. 1st CI.
Bath, Michigan
WILSON, ROY W., 2nd Lt.
34 Bartlett Road,
Winthrop, Massachusetts
WISMER, HAROLD D., Pvt.
General Delivery,
Twining, Michigan
WLECIAL, LEO, Pvt.
1498 Baldwin Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
WOOD, GEORGE W., Pvt.
1296 Holcomb Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
YEARWOOD, RAY, Sgt.
211 South 8th Street,
Mt. Vernon, Illinois
F BATTERY
CABEEN, WAYLAND H. (deceased) Captain 523 Owen Street, Saginaw, Michigan
BRENNAN, ROWLAND E., First Lieutenant 215 Montana Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin
CORYELL, CHARLES A., First Lieutenant 1400 Center Avenue, Bay City, Michigan
HEAD, JEROME R., Second Lieutenant 406 Wisconsin Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin
POULTER, WILLIAM I., Second Lieutenant 185 West Center Avenue, Logan, Utah
ADAMS, GEORGE J., Pvt. BOZUNG, HOWARD J., Pvt. CHIPLIS, STEPHEN M. Pvt. 1st CI.
475 Buick Street, R. F. D. No. 3, 1117 2nd Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan Ionia, Michigan Detroit, Michigan
ALARIE, RAYMOND J., Sup. Sgt. BRYANT, FRANK P., Pvt. 1st CI. COLLINS, ELMER W, Pvt.
57 Grandy Avenue, 1111 Pine Street, 46 Lovett Street,
Detroit, Michigan Lakeview, Birmingham, Alabama Detroit, Michigan
^^^I^lj ^9?^''I G-. Pvt. BUJALSKI, STANLEY, Pvt. COPE, JESSE L., Pvt. 1st CI.
87 Hydelburg Street, 706 Forest East (Apt. No. 17) 3638 Harrison Street South,
Detroit, Michigan Detroit, Michigan South Omaha. Nebraska
BASNER JOHN, Pvt BULLEN, THOMAS A, Pvt. COSTELLO, RICHARD J., Corp.
ligJniw, MrcWgan ' Wildie, Kentucky. 28 Humboldt Avenue,
RAIIFR lOHN T Pvt BUNCH, DELBERT D., Pvt. Detroit, Michigan
R F D No i' R- F- D. No. 3. COSTELLO, SAMUEL L., Pvt.
Daggett, Michigan Lakeville, Indiana 28 Humboldt Avenue,
BEARDSLEY, FLOYD G., Chief Mech. BUSH, THOMAS E, Pvt. 1st CI. Detroit, Michigan
R. F. D. No. 4, R. F- D. No. 1, CRIBLEY, JOSEPH, pvt.
Charlotte, Michigan Bcllaire, Michigan Catton, Ontario Canada
BENECKE, GEORGE W., Sgt. CALLAHAN, HERBERT P., Cook, CUDDIGAN, WILLIAM J., Corp.
1441 East Lewis Street, 458 Maple Street, 12 Orange Street,
Fort Wayne, Indiana Detroit, Michigan Hartford, Connecticut.
BERG, ANSELM I, Pvt. 1st CI. CARLSON, ANDREW, Saddler DAGGETT, EARL A., Pvt.
Saint Marys, Idaho 1423 Cass Avenue, Pentwater, Michigan
BESTROM, LAWRENCE C, Pvt. Detroit, Michigan DUCEATT, ARTHUR E., Pvt. 1st CI.
Bailey, Michigan CARNEY, ARTHUR E., Sgt. 1038 Harper Avenue,
BLACK, WILLIAM D., Pvt. 612 Broadway Street, Detroit, Michigan
McGrlgo?"Mic?igan °"°''°' ^'"''^'" EMEMAKER, RICHARD T., Pvt. 1st CI.
r,^J^l^^^ iJTT^r r^ CASPER, T. DEWITT, Corp. 58 Greenwood Avenue,
BOERNER, FRANK L., Corp. Blue, Arizona Detroit, Michigan
Mio, Michigan
BOWMAN EDWARD, Pvt. CASSIN, JAMES R, Pvt. 1st CI. FAWKES, WILLIAM S., Pvt.
35 Parson Street, 531 North 16th Street, Sears, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan Newark, New Jersey (Care Mrs. H. D. Cummmgs)
198
FERRY, DOMINIC. Horseahoer,
353 Brady Street,
Detroit, Michigan
FETTERS. WILLIS R., Pvt. 1st CI.
R. F. D. No. 2.
Cassopolis, Michigan
FISCHER, CARL W.. Corp.
Grayling, Michigan
FLEMING, ROBERT L , Stb. Sgt.
Flemingsburg. Kentucky
FLETCHER. ROBERT W., Corp.
42 Gwymore Avenue,
Toronto. Canada.
FRONTERO. DOMONICK, Pvt.
No address
FURHMAN, ALEXANDER A. Horseshoer
Port Hope, Michigan
GANDIA, ANGEL C, Pvt. 1st CI.
Maniti, Porto Rico
GANNON, CHARLES J., Pvt.
215 Courtland Avenue,
Highland Park, Michigan
GEHRING, JOSEPH, Pvt.
44 East Place,
Detroit, Michigan
GENNEMATAS, GEORGE W., Pvt.
74 Florence Avenue,
Highland Park, Michigan
GENICKS, SAMUEL, Pvt.
1417 Maplewood Avenue,
Flint, Michigan
GIBBARD, LELAND M., Pvt. 1st 01.
(Deceased)
R. F. D. No. 3.
East Jordan, Michigan
GIBSON, EDWARD C, Corp.
Salt Lake City, Utah
GINTER, DAVE L., Pvt. 1st CI.
721 Willis Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
GOULLIDES. PATROCLOS, Pvt.
15 Hospital Street,
Providence, Rhode Island
GRAINGER, WILLIAM, Pvt. 1st CI.
519 Cass Avenue,
Detroit. Michigan
GREUEL, ARTHUR A., Pvt. 1st CI.
1190 Holton Street,
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
GROTLE, HAROLD, Pvt.
1621 Ferry Avenue.
Seattle, Washington
GURAK, STANLEY, Pvt.
1749 Erie Street,
Chicago, Illinois
HACKENBURG, ULYSSES, Mech.
943 South 8th Street,
South Bend, Indiana
HAUSSMAN. ALBERT, Pvt.
R. F. D. No. 1,
Belding, Michigan
HEATER. HENRY E., JR., Bugler,
231 Humboldt Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
HILLGER, JOHN, Pvt. 1st CI.
131 Baldwin Avenue,
Detroit. Michigan
HIRT, AUGUST F., Pvt.
31 Alba Street,
Detroit, Michigan
HISGEN. ALOYSIUS J., Pvt. 1st CI.
123 Bley Ker Street.
Kalamazoo, Michigan
HOLM. PETER A., Pvt.
623 Division Street,
Marquette, Michigan
HOOPER, EDWARD G., Pvt. 1st CI.
46 Watson Street, (Apt. No. 3)
Detroit, Michigan
HORAN, JAMES, Pvt. 1st CI.
3173 Tolson Street,
San Francisco, California
HORGAN, TIMOTHY J., Corp.
545 16th Street.
Detroit, Michigan
HORWITZ, JOSHUA, Pvt.
74 Bank Street,
Ottawa, Ont., Canada
HUDEREWICZ, JOSEPH, Pvt.
74 Boulevard Court,
Detroit, Michigan
HUMPHRISS, GEORGE C, Pvt. 1st CI.
114 Hogarth Street,
Detroit, Michigan
JARRARD. RICHARD T., Pvt. 1st CI.
305 Paschill Street,
Houston, Texas
JOSEPH. AUSTIN, Sgt.
926 Fairview Avenue,
St. Clair Heights, Detroit, Michigan
KALTZ, JOHN M., Pvt. 1st CI.
721 Leland Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
KANE, ALBERT, Pvt.
Hellertown, Pennsylvania
KAUFMAN, HARRY, Pvt.
2 1 1 Hcndrie Street,
Detroit, Michigan
KAUSCHKY, JOSEPH A., Sgt.
Hotel Iroquois,
Detroit, Michigan
KELLEY, FRANCIS S., Pvt. Ist CI.
263 17th Street,
Detroit, Michigan
KENNY, THOMAS, Pvt. 1st CI.
263 17th Street,
Detroit, Michigan
KERSTEN, WILLIAM H., Pvt. 1st CI.
713 East Alexandria Street,
Detroit, Michigan
KNAPMAN, WILLIAM, Pvt.
303 Edison Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
KONECZNY, MATTHEW, Pvt.
337 Moran Street,
Detroit, Michigan
KOSKI, JOHN E., Cook,
520 Jackson Street,
Negaunee, Michigan
KRIGBAUM, ROBERT E., Pvt.
Sappe Lake, Washington
KRUGER, LOUIS A., Pvt.
411 Williams Avenue,
Brooklyn, New York
KUBICKI, FRANK J., Pvt.
887 Mcdbury Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
KUZINSKI, ANDREW, Pvt.
1306 Blackstone Street,
Jackson, Michigan
LA PONSEY, LEO J., Pvt., 1st CI.
R. F. D. No. 5,
Caro, Michigan .^
LANSING, ROY H., Pvt.
51 East Alexandrine Street,
Detroit, Michigan
LEACH, HARLEY E., Pvt.
820 Washington Avenue,
Alpena. Michigan
LEBIRE, JOSEPH L., Pvt.
Butte City, California
LEMLER, ORVIA, Pvt.
Bourbon, Indiana
LEUSCH, VINCENT, Pvt.
412 East Maple Avenue.
Laporte, Indiana
LEWIS, OTIS B., Pvt.
Fenton, Tennessee
LIBBY, LINWOOD F., Pvt. 1st CI.
748 Kirby Avenue, West,
Detroit, Michigan
LIDDICOAT, HUGH R., Corp.
412 Meldrum Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
LIDDICOAT, RICHARD J., Corp.
412 Meldrum Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
LOKANIS, JOHN, Corp.
1068 Chene Street,
Detroit, Michigan
LONG, NELLO J., Pvt.
121 West High Street,
Detroit. Michigan
LONGE, LOUIS, Pvt.
656 Newport Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
LORIMER, ROBERT, Sgt.
1416 14th Avenue.
Detroit, Michigan
LUDWIG, GEORGE A., Pvt.
R. F. D. No. 1,
Maple City, Michigan
LUMLEY. FREDERICK A, Corp.
1180 16th Street,
Detroit, Michigan
LYNN, JAMES H., Pvt.
766 Woodward Avenue;
Detroit, Michigan
LYON, JAMES G., Pvt.
Clarksville, Georgia
MC COOL, ERNEST G., Pvt.
124 Hendrie Street,
Detroit, Michigan
MC GRATH, JOHN L., Pvt. 1st CI.
228 20th Street,
Detroit. Michigan
MC KAY. WILLIAM R., Pvt.
455 18th Street,
Detroit, Michigan
MARKOWSKI, WILLIAM, Pvt.
1139 St. Aubin Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
MARSHALL, DAVID J., Pvt. 1st CI.
65 Atlantic Avenue.
Long Beach, California
— 199 —
MARVIN, RALPH E., Pvt.
181 Stanton Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
MASSEY, JOHN, Pvt.
579 Roosevelt Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
MASSEY, WILLIAM G., Pvt.
1113 8th Avenue,
Flint, Michigan
MAZIASZ, FELIX, Pvt. Ist CI.
590 Harlcr Avenue East,
Detroit, Michigan
MEYERS, FREDERICK G., Pvt.
740 Sheridan Road,
Glencoe, Chicago, Illinois
MILLER, EDWARD H., Pvt.
606 17th Street,
Detroit, Michigan
MINNEMA, JOHN M, Pvt.
1S8 19th Street West,
Holland, Michigan
MISHLER, MILTON, Pvt.
R. F. D. No. 2,
Newaygo, Michigan
MOONEY, THOMAS A., Pvt. 1st CI.
305 Canada Avenue,
St. Louis, Missouri
MOORE, JAMES A, Pvt.
2779 St. Park Avenue,
Chicago, Illinois
MUELLER, ERNEST, Pvt.
Care J. Leason,
157 Willis Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
NEUBAUER, FRANK H', Pvt.
2835 20th Street,
Port Huron, Michigan
NOONAN, JOHN F., Pvt.
257 West Canfield Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
NORELL, ARTHUR F., Pvt. 1st CI.
804 Ludington Avenue,
Escanaba, Michigan
NOTTAGE, RICHARD D., 1st Sgt.
228 Central Avenue,
Saint Petersburg, Florida
ORDELOW, DAVID, Pvt.
92 Division Street,
Detroit, Michigan
PAPPAS, ALEXANDER G., Pvt. 1st CI.
31 Cedar Hurst Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
PARKS, ARCHIE, Pvt
105 Greenfield Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
PARENT, BERNARD C, Pvt.
913 State Street,
Bay City, Michigan
PERALLA, ERNEST E., Pvt.
Toviola, Michigan
PHILLIPS, BYRON C. Pvt.
754 Paterson Street,
Flint, Michigan
POTTER, CYRIL A., Horseshoer,
Central Lake, Michigan
PRESSELL, HARRY C, Mech.
(Deceased)
177 Crescent Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
PROEFKE, ARTHUR, Pvt.
995 Frederick Street,
Detroit, Michigan
PRYSBY, VICTOR J., Corp.
286 Canfield East,
Detroit, Michigan
RADEMACHER. LEO T., Sergt.
463 McDougall Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
RAMSHAW, FRANK, Pvt. 1st CI.
58 West Elizabeth Street,
Detroit, Michigan
RAMSHAW, FRED, Pvt.
58 West Elizabeth Street,
Detroit, Michigan
RANKIN, HARRY J., Pvt.
176 Thiemes Street,
Chatham, Ont., Canada
RENNYX, LYNN, Sergt.
Moscow, Michigan (Hillsdale County)
REYNOLDS, HARRY, Pvt. 1st CI.
301 Brook Street,
Muscatine, Iowa
RHODEHOUSE, CHARLES W., Pvt., 1st CI
16 Austin Place,
Detroit, Michigan
RICE, EARL A., Corp.
150 Ferry Avenue West,
Detroit, Michigan
ROTES, WILLIAM C, Pvt. 1st CI.
203 East Lansing Street,
Jackson, Michigan
RUGILA, ANDREW, Sgt.
184 Windine Avenue,
Highland Park, Mich.
RUHL, FRANK G., Sergt.
228 Harrison Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
RUSSELL, ROBERT D., Pvt. 1st CI.
640 17th Street,
Detroit, Michigan
SCHMIDT, JOHN, Pvt.
811 16th Street,
Detroit, Michigan
SCHNEIDER, JOSEPH A., Pvt.
194 Kerwine Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
SCHOEN, FRED H., Pvt.
227 Hunt Street,
Detroit, Michigan
SCHRAMM, WILLIAM G., Pvt.
78 Moran Street,
Detroit, Michigan
SCHROEDER, ARTHUR C, Pvt.
352 McDougall Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
SCHULTZ, EDWARD A., Pvt.
638 Mullet Street,
Detroit, Michigan
SECORD, EARL L., Pvt. 1st CI.
Elmira, Michigan
SEDESTROM, CHARLES S., Sup. Sgt.
575 Holden Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
SELINSKI, JOHN F., Pvt. 1st CI.
895 Kirby Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
SERVICE, CECIL O., Pvt. (Deceased)
General Delivery,
Vassar, Michigan
SHAW, HAROLD C, Pvt.
251 4th Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
SHEPPARD, EDWARD G., Pvt. 1st CI.
R. F. D. No. 1,
Rose City, Michigan
SIELOFF, EDWARD, Pvt.
147 Canter Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
SILINSKI, JOSEPH F., Pvt.
895 Kirby Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
SLIGER, CLARENCE G., Pvt.
General Delivery,
Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
SMITH, AUBREY, Pvt.
1415 Harper Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
SMITH, HOWARD L., Pvt.
759 4th Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
SMOLINSKI, JOE, Pvt.
158 Canter Street,
Detroit, Michigan
SNYDER, JAMES B., Pvt. 1st CI.
Blue, Arizona
SPRAGUE, RICHARD A., Mech.
624 Antoinette Street,
Detroit, Michigan
SPROWL, HARRY, Pvt.
854 Summer Street,
Hammond, Indiana
ST. JAMES, JAMES, Cook,
Saint Ignace, Michigan
STANLEY, HUBERT, Mess Sgt.
481 McGraw Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
STEPHENSON, GEORGE W., Pvt.
525 Dayton Street,
Flint, Michigan
STERLING, WILLIAM B., Corp.
108 Dwight Street,
Lansing, Michigan -
STETEKLUH, FERD F., Sergt.
2460 West Grand Boulevard,
Detroit, Michigan
STOPPER, GEORGE M., Bugler
658 Franklin Street,
Williamsport, Pennsylvania
SWANTER, JOHN P., Corp
Box No. 23, R. F. D. No. 1,
Omer, Michigan
SZWANDER, ANTONI, Pvt.
3646-59th Street, East,
Cleveland, Ohio
TACKABERY, ROY E., Pvt. 1st CI.
198 McGraw Street,
Detroit, Michigan
TAYLOR, WALTER, Pvt.
197 Vermont Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
THEOBALD, HAROLD, Pvt.
1124 Porter Street,
Lansing, Michigan
THIES, ALBERT, Cook
749 McDougall Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
THOMPSON, CURLEY, Corp.
602-14th Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
TORRENTO, CAMILLO, Pvt.
990 Bassemoure Street,
Detroit, Michigan
TRAHAN, EDWARD, Pvt.
93 West Street,
Chicopea, Massachusetts
TRIPP, ARTHUR, Pvt.
827 Clayton Street,
Lansing, Michigan
TUCKER, FRANK L., Corp.
459-17th Street,
Detroit, Michigan
UGENTE, PAUL, Pvt.
47 Benwick Street,
New York City, New York
VALLE, JOHN, Pvt.
Box No. 222,
Three Rivers, Michigan
VIZZINI, JAMES, Pvt. 1st CI.
89 Mitchill Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
VOSS, HARRY, Pvt. 1st CI.
3524 North Oakland Avenue,
Chicago, Illinois
WADVILLE, MIKE, Pvt. 1st CI.
1457 Hamilton Avenue,
Cleveland, Ohio
WAISANEN, AXEL. R., Corp.
Box No. 15,
Calumet, Michigan
WARD, LEO J., Pvt. 1st CI.
74 Avery Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
WILLIAMS, CHARLES H., Pvt.
1525 North Saginaw Street,
Flint, Michigan
WOODWARD, WILLIAM R., Corp.
290 Ottawa Avenue,
London, Ontario, Canada
YOUNG, VIVIAN L., Pvt. 1st CI.
210 West Franklin Street,
Otsego, Michigan
YOUNGRE, RALPH L., Corp.
405 Aubin Street,
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
ZIMMEL, ANTHONY G., Corp.
72 Humboldt Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
HEADQUARTERS COMPANY
WILEY, GEORGE S., Captain 35 Rowena Street, Detroit, Mich.
CARNAHAN, CLIFFORD R., First Lieutenant 438 South Fanchor Avenue, Mt. Pleasant, Mich.
CASEY, THOMAS B., First Lieutenant 5648 Michigan Avenue, Chicago, 111.
CORGELL, CHARLES A., First Lieutenant 1400 Center Ave., Bay City, Mich.
GREGSON, WILLIAM F., First Lieutenant 175 West Jackson Blvd., Chicago, 111.
LOEFFLER, ROLAND, First Lieutenant 270 LaSalle Avenue, Detroit, Mich.
MEAD, HAROLD W., First Lieutenant 120 West Gorham Street, Madison, Wis.
SMITH, WARD C, First Lieutenant 246 Vinewood Avenue, Detroit, Mich.
DUKES, VIRGIL D., Second Lieutenant 65 Connecticut Avenue, Detroit, Mich.
GERBER, ALBERT C, Second Lieutenant 564 Prouty Avenue, Toledo, Ohio
GORTON, MAX L., Second Lieutenant 1427 South Street, Denver, Col.
KELSEY, OILN R., Second Lieutenant Bonner Springs, Kansas
LANDERS, OSCAR C, Second Lieutenant Conway, Arkansas
NOHL, LOUIS E., Second Lieutenant Espanola, New Mexico
WATERMAN, WILLIAM, Second Lieutenant 416 West School Lane, Germantown, Pa,
ACKERMAN, ISAAC J., Pvt. BERG, THORWALD L., Pvt. CERASI, GUISTINO, Band Corp.
364 East 10th Street, 777 Van Dyke Avenue, 640 Riopelle Street,
New York, New York Detroit, Michigan Detroit, Michigan
ALLEN, FRANK L., Pvt. BERKOWSKI CHESTER Pvt CHAMBERS. ERNEST W., Pvt. 1st CI.
39 Rung Street, 384 Roosevelt Avenue, ' ' ?' ^- ?■ ^°- i' v „
Dayton, Ohio Detroit, Michigan Copenhagen, New York
ANSELM, OTTO A., Mec. CHARBNEAU, LAWRENCE A., Color Sgt.
609 Clark Avenue, BLUE, WILLIAM, Sgt. 496 Kercheval Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan 604 Catherine Street, Detroit, Michigan
ARNOLD, LEWIS W., Sgt. Bug. Detroit, Michigan COMPANEY, CHARLES J., Pvt. 1st CI.
453 Salem Avenue, BIRCH, DAVID R., Pvt. 1st CI. 122 Brevoort Place,
York, Pennsylvania 7 D Street, Detroit, Michigan
ATKINSON, LUTHER H., 1st Sgt. Detroit, Michigan COTTAGE, STEPHEN J., Pvt.
539 Aldine Square, BLINN, CLARENCE E., Pvt. 49 Railroad Street,
Chicago, Illinois 365 Crosby Avenue, Shickshinny, Pennsylvania
BAKER, WILBUR A., Mus. 2nd CI. Portland, Oregon CROMER, GEORGE W., Corp.
1428-16th Street, BOSTWICK, DAVID E., Sgt. 221 Stanton Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan 171 Maybury Grand Avenue, Detroit, Michigan
BALDWIN, ROBERT F., Sgt. Detroit, Michigan CROOK, GILBERT D., Color Sgt.
1106 North Illinois Street, oTTnT^ru at7.t-.t^ at t3t7t3.t« tk o o .. **«- Care C. Wellman,
Decatur, Illinois BURKHARDT, ALBERT F.. Reg. Sgt. Maj. Wayne, Michigan
BALKWELL, BURTON A., Reg. Sgt. Maj. Detroi^^'Mi'ihigan"^ CONVERY, EDGAR L., Reg, Sgt. Maj
Almont, Michigan ' 255 Partridge Street,
BARSOOK BURT B Pvt CARLSON, GEORGE T., Sgt. Albany, New York
1546 Union Street," ' S'^^''^'^','' County, DeSMYTER, ALBERT, Pvt.
San Diego, California '^^^^^ *^'»'. Pennsylvania 52g Belvidere Avenue,
BECK, ELMER W., Mec. CASTELLO, JOSEPH, Mus. 3rd CI. Detroit, Michigan
795 Mt. ElUott Avenue, 538 Iron Street, DORAN, CLAUDE T., Band Corp
Detroit, Michigan Negaunee, Michigan Mt. Pulaski, Illinois
— 200 —
DOTEN. BURR A., Mils. 2nd CI.
Ovid, Michigan
DOUBLE, JOSEPH M., Band Corp.
577 Euclid Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
DUELL, ARTHUR W., Pvt.
671 Williams Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
EAGLETON, CHARLES A., Pvt.
626 East 8th Street,
Traverse City, Michigan
EDDY, CLARENCE E., Cotp.
Ionia, Michigan
ELLIS, ELMER F., Corp.
157 Smith Avenue,
Detroit. Michigan
ELDER, THOMAS D., Supply Sgt.
519 West Cherry Avenue,
Jonesboro, Arkansas
EDSON, VERNIE C, Pvt.
Saranac, Michigan
EVANS, WILLIAM J., Mus. 2nd CI.
St. Denis Hotel, Bagley Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
FERGUSON, JOHN C, Corp.
103 North Ashley Street,
Brazil, Indiana
FELBER, RICHARD P., Pvt. 1st CI.
2227 Fullerton Avenue,
Chicago, Illinois
FILLION, HENRY J., Corp.
1504-24th Street,
Detroit, Michigan
FITCH, GORDON, Pvt. 1st CI.
Lyons, Michigan
FLYNN, JOHN V., Pvt.
307 East Pine Street,
Cadillac, Michigan
FORD, NORMAN C, Mus. 3rd CI.
113 Howard Street,
Detroit, Michigan
FREDMAN, MIKE L., Pvt. 1st CI.
14 Monnig Court,
Detroit. Michigan
GAZALLA, FRED J., Pvt.
335 Colby Street,
Ionia, Michigan
GIBBONS, HOWARD W., Pvt.
Stanton, Michigan
GIBBONS, RAPHAEL R., Pvt.
The Alhambra Apts., Park Blvd.,
Detroit, Michigan
GOLENO, JOSEPH, Mus. 2nd CI.
121 Elmira Avenue,
Monroe, Michigan
GREEN, EARL F., Pvt.
R. F. D. No. 2,
Morley, Michigan
GRITMAN, WILLIAM J., Bn. Sgt. Maj.
M35 Scovel Place,
Detroit, Michigan
GRUSSNER, NICHOLAS, Pvt.
244 Brush Street,
Detroit, Michigan
GUALDONI, LOUIS, Mus. 3rd CI.
201 North 18th Street,
Herrin, Illinois
GUERNSEY, ROBERT A., Pvt.
257 State Street,
Ionia, Michigan
GUE, GEORGE E. T., Mus. 2nd CI.
121 Underwood Street.
Zanesville, Ohio
HANECKI, SHERMAN, Mus. 2nd CI.
906 Frederick Street,
Detroit, Michigan
HARNOIS, ALFRED, Pvt.
146-8th Street,
Detroit, Michigan
HENDRICKS, DELVIN S., Band Corp.
White Pigeon, Michigan
HIGGINS, ALFRED J., Mus. 1st CI.
1528 Canton Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
HILL, GRENVILLE L., Pvt. 1st CI.
1342 Hamilton Blvd.,
Detroit, Michigan
HIRSCHMAN, JOHN J., Mess Sgt.
339 Schenectady Street,
Schenectady, New York
HOEYKENS, EDWARD J., Horseshoer
423 Waterloo Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
HOFFMAN, GEORGE, Pvt.
Bergen, Genesee County, New York
HOGLE, RALPH E., Pvt.
Muir, Michigan
HOLTZ, ERNEST C, Pvt.
529 Rich Street,
Ionia, Michigan
HULME, WILLIAM S., Corp.
517 Columbus Street,
Grand Haven, Michigan
HYNES, JOHN, Corp.
Stockbridge, Michigan
INLOW, ELLIS L.,
89 N. Bellevue Blvd.,
Memphis, Tennessee
JANECEK, JACK J., Pvt.
1715 Gratiot Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
JEPSON, KINNE, Pvt.
Saranac, Michigan
JOHNSON, MICHAEL H., Pvt.
1187 Sheridan Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
KEEPER, ERNEST M., Corp.
Fairview, Erie County, Pennsylvania
KEPPLER, EDWIN H., Pvt.
291 Chestnut Street,
Detroit, Michigan
KETTENBEIL, WILLIAM H., Pvt.
Lake Linden, Michigan
KOHLS. ERICH M., Mus. 2nd CI.
1 1 73 Louis Avenue,
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
KOSSEL, EMIL, Mus. 3rd CI.
248 Heidelberg Street,
Detroit, Michigan
KOZLOWSKI, JOHN J., Corp.
889 Theodore Street,
Detroit, Michigan
KULKA, JOHN B., Pvt.
895 Forest Avenue, East,
Detroit, Michigan
KWIATEK, JOSEPH, Mus. 1st CI.
1359 Campbell Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
KNAPP, HENRY H., 1st Sgt.
45 Townsend Avenue,
Newburgh, New York
KOPPERT, HARRY, Saddler,
1466 Mt. Elliott Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
Deceased — Killed by accident Jan. 30, '19.
LEITCH, FRANKLIN C, Corp.
2475 Queen Street, East,
Toronto, Canada
McCORD, DON L., Band Sgt.
Durand, Michigan
McCORMICK, JOSEPH H., Corp.
414 West 4th Street,
Fulton, New York
McKELLAR, WILLIAM D., Corp.
624 West Harrison Street,
Saginaw, Michigan. West Side
McMillan, douglas s., Pvt. ist ci.
331 Clark Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
MADEKSKI, STANISLAW, Mus. 1st CI.
890 Harper Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
MAHONEY, ADAMS A., Pvt. 1st CI.
303 Hocking Avenue,
Logan, Ohio
MANNEROW, FREDERICK E., Pvt.
300 WetL Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
MARTIN, GEORGE W., Pvt.
R. F. D. No. 1,
Ionia, Michigan
MARZO, ELDRADO, Pvt.
Box No. 145,
Bessemer, Michigan
MARZOLF, CHARLES M., Corp.
Reed City. Michigan
MEDICI, EMIL C, Pvt. 1st CI.
341 Hendricks Street,
Detroit, Michigan
MERRIFIELD, PAUL D., Sgt.
Watervliet, Michigan
MERWIN, DOUGLAS J., Asa't Band Leader
945-18th Street,
Detroit, Michigan
MILLER. BENJAMIN F., Mus. 3rd CI.
306 May Street,
Flint, Michigan
MILLER. HARRY C, Sgt.
640 Baldwin Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
MILNIKEL, ADOLP, Cook
171 Territorial Street,
Benton Harbor, Michigan
MOORE, RAYMOND C, Corp.
1020 West Warren Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
MORROW, JESSE A., Pvt.
Lake Odessa, Ionia County, Michigan
MOW ATT, LOUIS G., Pvt.
116 West Main Street,
Beiding, Michigan
MUNGER, ROBERT S., Pvt.
Saranac, Michigan
MARR, OREN E., Pvt. 1st CI.
698 Maybury Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
— 201
MURPHY, FRED A., Pvt.
110 Second Street,
Moline, Illinois
NAT ALE, DOMONICK, Pvt.
Not Known
OLSZEWSKI, JOSEPH F., Pvt. 1st CI.
826-24th Street,
Detroit, Michigan
IVAN OVERHOLT, Mus. 3rd CI.
Arcadia, Michigan
PARSONS, RALPH H., Mus. 2nd CI.
254 Hartford Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
PASCHAL, BARB, Pvt.
552 Mack Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
PECKHAM, EARL R., Corp.
1203-1 2th Street,
Detroit, Michigan
PERKINS, EDD. L., Pvt. Ist CI.
Onsted, Michigan
PHILIPS, ALEXANDER C, Bugler
41 Pulford Street,
Detroit, Michigan
PIPER, ASA E., Pvt.
617 Bayaird Street,
Ionia, Michigan
PIPPIN, CLARENCE C, Sgt.
513 East 8th Street,
Wilmington, Delaware
PIRIE, SAMUEL, Band Sgt.
Musician's Club, 84 Macomb Street,
Detroit, Michigan
POLLEFEYT, PAUL L., Corp.
338 Delaware Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
RANELLI, SCIPIONE, Pvt.
648 E, Lafayette Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
PUNG, JOHN, Pvt.
R. F. D. No. 4,
Portland, Michigan
Deceased
RATH, WALTER C, Band Sgt.
974 Mt. Elliott Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
RATTRAY, HENRY H., Pvt. 1st CI.
614 McDougal Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
RATZ, EDWARD P., Pvt.
110 Antrim Street,
Charlevoix, Michigan
RAWLINGS, JOSEPH V., Corp.
11 Second Street,
Calumet, Michigan
REID, ROBERT B., Pvt.
69-20th Street,
Detroit, Michigan
RICH, JESSE S., Bn. Sgt. Maj.
922 Genesee Avenue,
Saginaw, Michigan
REIGER. WALTER, Pvt.
102 Wall Street,
Ionia, Michigan
RICHARDSON, WILLIAM R., Pvt.
218 S. Bridge Street,
Beiding, Michigan
RIKER, ADDO P., Pvt.
412 Coffern Avenue,
Greenville, Michigan
RINE, HENRY W., Pvt. 1st CI.
1165-24th Street,
Detroit, Michigan
RITTER, HAROLD E.. Pvt.
Lake Odessa, Michigan
ROBERTS, BERT W.. Pvt.
1397 Iroquois Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
ROBERTS, HAROLD H., Sgt.
117 Douglas Street,
White Hall, Illinois
ROBERTSON, JOHN M., Corp.
515 Lafayette Street,
Grand Haven, Michigan
RUSAK, STEPHEN, Pvt. 1st CI.
739 Milwaukee Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
RUTKOWSKI, STANLEY, Pvt.
441-30th Street,
Detroit, Michigan
RUTLEDGE. ADRIAN S., Pvt. 1st CI
Bonita, Oregon
RUNNER, WILLIAM S., Pvt.
Walkerville, Michigan
SALCILIO, PONFILO. Mus. 2nd CI.
932 Hacheth Street,
Ionia, Michigan
SANDUSKY, OTTO, S., Pvt.
336 Maybury Grand Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
SCHILBE, EARL J. E., Pvt.
88 McGraw Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
SCHMUCK, REINHOLD E., Corp.
297 Charlevoix Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
SCHORR, RAYMOND, Pvt.
1250 East Main Street,
Lancaster, Ohio
SCHULTE, MATTHEW, Pvt.
1267 Van Dyke Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
SCHULTE, PETER J., Pvt. 1st CI.
104 East Euclid Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
SCHULZE, HAROLD F., Pvt.
860 Lafayette Blvd., West,
Detroit, Michigan
SCHUMACHER, BERNHARD C, Pvt.
Care Dime Savings Bank,
Detroit, Michigan
SEAGER, EDWARD F., Sgt.
381 West Philadelphia Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
SHELDON, WILLIAM, Pvt.
1504 Amsterdam Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
SHUGG, HAROLD H., Pvt.
31 Main Street, S. E.,
Houghton, Michigan
SKALSKI, JOHN, Band Sgt.
1413 Dubois Street,
Detroit, Michigan
SMITH, LUTHER A., Corp.
332 East King Street,
Shippensburg, Pennsylvania
SNYDER, JAMES H., Corp.
2234 Procter Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
STAFFORD, LEO A., Reg. Sgt. Maj.
103 Fisher Street,
Marquette, Michigan
STATHAKOS, PETER S., Pvt.
Box No. 34,
Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
STECKLE, JOHN, Cook
908 West Warren Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
STEWART, COLVIN W., Mus. 3rdCl.
96 Lothrop Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
STONE, CHARLES I., Pvt.
156 E. Ferry Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
STOYACK, JOHN E., Bugler
160 Bellman Street,
Throop Dickson City, Pennsylvania
SUTHERLAND, HENRY M., Mus. 1st CI.
119 West Front Street,
Grande Ledge, Michigan
SWEITZER, HARRY A., Pvt. 1st CI.
R. F. D. No. 2,
Muskegon, Michigan
SZALKOWSKI, EDWARD J., Pvt. 1st CI.
1020 Famsworth Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
SMITH, EARL B., Pvt.
West Lome, Ontario, Canada
TAYLOR, EDWARD E., Bugler
149 Bethune Avenue, East,
Detroit, Michigan
THORBURN, DONALD W., Mus. 3rd CI.
220 East Main Street,
Lansing, Michigan
TOTTE, EDWARD, Jr., Pvt.
423 McDouga! Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
TUSZYNSKI, LAWRENCE, Horseshoer
621 Wesson Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
VAN ALYEA, MELVILLE C, Pvt.
Earlville, Illinois
VAN GORDER, STANLEY, Pvt.
1180 McClellan Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
VANDE WALL, JULIUS, Pvt.
538'^ Hilliger Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
VAUGHT, PAUL G., Band Corp.
Chase, Michigan
VERRAST, THOMAS D., Pvt.
319 McDougall Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
VENTIMIGLIA, ALFONSO, Pvt.
61 Mitchell Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
VIRGE, CLYDE A., Pvt.
Box No. 185,
Lyons, Michigan
SUPPLY COMPANY
WALSH, ALLEN R., Mus. 3rd CI.
462 Trumbull Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
WARNOCK, EMIL H., Pvt.
980 Trombly Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
WASIERSKI, GUST, Pvt.
58 Holbom Street,
Detroit, Michigan
WEIGLE, RUSSELL J., Pvt.
Care Grand Rapids Trust Co.,
Grand Rapids, Michigan
WENNERSTROM, GUNNARD, Pvt.
406 Monroe Avenue,
McKeesport, Pennsylvania
WENZ, ALBERT W., Mus. 3rd CI.
531 East Michigan Avenue,
Lansing, Michigan
WHISLER, WILLIAM J., Pvt.
215 South Union Street,
Londonville, Ohio
WILKERSON, EHRAM, Pvt.
Troy, Alabama
WILSON, CECIL A., Sgt.
80 Celeron Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
WOJCIECHOWSKI, WALTER A.,
Mus. 2nd CI.
2330 K Russell Street,
Detroit, Michigan
WONCH, WILLIAM M., Pvt. 1st CI.
Box No. 48. R. F. D. No. 4,
Lansing, Michigan
WOODIN, ALBERT M., Cook
1428 Woolsey Avenue,
Berkeley, California
WYSE, ELMER F., Corp.
503 Ottokee Street,
Wauseon, Ohio
WHITE, ELMER H., Pvt.
441 Marshall Street,
Battle Creek, Michigan
YONKA, JOHN C, Stable Sgt.
North Detroit, Michigan
ZEEB, CHARLES A., Corp.
691 Lycastle Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
PHILLIPS, GLEN E., Captain 703 E. Woodbury, Marshalltown, Iowa
LANGE, ALEXANDER, D., First Lieutenant 433 California Street, San Francisco, Cal.
BARNUM, CLIFFORD L., First Lieutenant 4035 Queen Avenue, South Minneapolis, Minn.
STRATTON, WARD W., Second Lieutenant Address Unknown
ANDERSON, ROBERT J., Cook BRUNKE, WILLIAM C, Pvt. 1st CI. FARWELL, CHARLEY, Pvt.
1136 Trumbull Avenue, 223 Benson Avenue, 332 Perry Street,
Detroit, Michigan Detroit, Michigan Detroit, Michigan
BACKHAUSEN, LOUIS, Wagoner BUCHANAN, HARVEY B., Wagoner FINCH, ERVIN G., Pvt.
R. F. D. No. 1, Jonesbora, North Carolina R. F. D. No. 4,
Brillion, Wisconsin CADY NEWELL Pvt Charlotte, Michigan
BADGLEY, WILLIAM C, Wagoner 735 McFarlan Street, FINCH, OLIVER C^, Pyt.
400 Vinewood Avenue, Fl'nt. Michigan Swart=: Creek, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan CHAPLA, FRANK E., Mec. FINN, EDWARD J., Corp.
QATiTTV niriv- T-. M7„ 1737 ScottcH Avcuue, 31 Fernwood Avenue,
RF'dNo4 Detroit, Michigan Detroit, Michigan
Hudson,' Michigan CHAMPLIN, GEORGE C, Pvt. GAITANIS, ALEXANDER G., Pvt.
906 Porter Street, 165 Monroe Avenue,
HAIR, WILLIAM E., Wagoner Detroit Michigan Detroit, Michigan
Midland, Michigan ^^ AMBROSE Wagoner GLASSIC, FRANK L., Wagoner
BARTH^ OTTO J Wagoner 188'LaSalle Avenue, 212 Tireman Avenue,
5-.F, D- No- 1. . Detroit, Michigan Detroit, Michigan
Brillion, Wisconsin r^nj t xaov t ixr.^.,^^^..
= »„„„ o...T„,r ,., GUMMING, CLYDE, Wagoner GOLL, ROY L , Wagoner
BARRY, SAMUEL, Wagoner 1001 Swinton Street 218 Cook Street,
918 Ossington Avenue, Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan Albion, Michigan
Toronto, Canada /-TTc-rii-iP AyrauTTM u„ . i, „ GOES, EDDIE E., Pvt.
n*nT^ T T-c^r «r- r .., CUSTER, MARTIN, Horseshoer ' _ ' _
BIRD, LESLIE L., Wagoner R F D No 3 Station C, R. F. D. No. 8,
153 Rook Street, Revanna, Michigan Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Battle Creek, Michigan r'TairirxT mattjatsj t>„i-
^,.u-„,, .„^„,L ,„ ,,, DeBEAU, WILLIAM T., Wagoner, GREEN NATHAN, Pvt.
BIXBY, ARCHIE W., Wagoner 701 Owen Street ' » ' 279 Eliot Street,
Fruit Port, Michigan Saginaw, E. S., Michigan Detroit, Michigan
BOHLMAN, WILLIAM F., Wagoner DeVOE LEVI D Wagoner HAGA, EDWARD, Pvt. 1st CI.
R. F. D. No. 2, R F D No 2 ^- ^- ^- ^°- *•
Pontiac, Michigan Berlin Michigan Grand Rapids, Michigan
BOMBOLESKI ANDREW, Saddler DIEKEMA, ALBERT J., Wagoner ""^^.^f l-'^o^^TreeV^ ^ ' ^^«°"'^""
605 East Michigan Avenue, R F D No 2 329 bchool btreet,
Lansing, Michigan Holland; Michigan Hudson, Michigan
^°^,^'^i,^"="=^''°' W^e°"^^ DORA, HENRY, Pvt. "^^TUW^Kel'^IfcW^" ®''*'
14 Walnut Street, 1507 Woodside Street, "^'^y- Kentucky
Detroit, Michigan Essexville, Michigan HAHN, BENNO F., Pvt.
BRANDT, BENJAMIN W., Sgt. DRESSER, FRANK E., Corp. U''=^' Michigan
541-25th Street, Box No. 401, HEINTZ, JOHN, Wagoner
Detroit, Michigan Yorkville, New York 2014 Mt. Elliott Avenue,
BRANDT, EDWARD F., Pvt. DROUILLARD, MILES E., Pvt. Detroit, Michigan
R. F. D. No. 4, 205 Charles Street, HESS, LAURANCE F., Reg. Sup. Sgt.
Snover, Michigan River Rouge, Michigan 1089 Meldruni Avenue,
BROOKS, JOSEPH E., Wagoner DUNHAM, ELDRON F., Wagoner Detroit, Michigan
1340 Fischer Avenue, R. F. D. No. 1, HICKOK, LESLIE D., Wagoner
Detroit, Michigan Mullikin, Michigan Olivet, Michigan
— 202 —
rilLLIKER, GEORGE W., Pvt.
204 Merrick Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
HOLDERNESS. FRANK C, Cook
2412 East Grand Boulevard,
Detroit, Michigan
HOWE, FRANK H., Wagoner
Tecumseh, Michigan
HUFF, ELMER J., Wagoner
R. F. D. No. 2,
Hudson, Michigan
HUNN, ORVILLE M., Pvt. 1st CI.
1280 Joy Road,
Detroit, Michigan
IRISH, CHARLES F., Wagoner
R. F. D. No. 4,
Traverse City, Michigan
JAARDA, WILLIAM, Pvt.
R. F. D. No. 12,
Grand Rapids, Michigan
JENSEN, ANDREW, Pvt.
1620 Rapids Drive,
Racine, Wisconsin
JOHNSON, HOWARD, Corp.
Michigan Central Stock Yards,
Detroit, Michigan
JUECKSTOCK, ERNEST E., Saddler
325 Lovctt Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
KAPLAN, CHARLES J., Wagoner
R. F. D. No. 1,
Racine, Wisconsin
KAPLAN, EDWIN, Wagoner
R. F. D. No. 1,
Racine, Wisconsin
KARCZEWSKI, ZEGMONT, Wagoner
639 Lewis Street,
Burlington, Wisconsin
KEMP, FRED W., Corp.
1274 Scotten Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
KING, THEODORE G., Reg. Sup. Sgt.
1981 West Grand Boulevard,
Detroit, Michigan
KOOTOOZON, JAMES P., Pvt. 1st CI.
3 East Main Street,
Battle Creek, Michigan
KOPF, JOHN A., Supply Sgt.
291 Varick Street,
Jersey City, New Jersey
KRESS, LEO C, Reg. Sup. Sgt.
Box No. 45, R. F. D. No. 2,
Ann Arbor, Michigan
KRONBERG, LOUIS F., Wagoner
R. F. D. No. 5,
Adrian, Michigan
LAKE, WILLIAM R., Wagoner
239 LaBrosse Street,
Detroit, Michigan
LARSEN, LEONARD P., Wagoner
R. F. D. No. I,
Valley, Nebraska
LAMER, RICHARD H., Pvt.
Zeeland, Michigan
LANDHOLT, WALTER G., Mec.
1414 East Prairie Street,
Decatur, Illinois
LEEUW, HENRY, Pvt.
R. F. D. No. 1,
Zeeland, Michigan
LEHMAN, ALFRED, Cook
Manchester, Michigan
LEITHEAD, THOMAS, Jr., Cook
169 Scott Street,
Detroit. Michigan
LEWANDOWSKI, WALTER G.,Horseshoer
1229 W. Grace Street,
South Bend, Indiana
McCarthy, JOHN L., Wagoner
147 Allendale Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
McRATH, FRED L., Cook
R. F. D. No. 1,
Pontiac, Michigan
MATHIAS, VINNIA S., Pvt.
Cygnet, Ohio
MITCHELL, ALFRED, Wagoner
High Park.
Jeannette, Pennsylvania
MITCHELL. STANLEY G., Pvt. 1st CI.
783 Baker Street,
Detroit, Michigan
MONINGER, GEORGE, Pvt. 1st CI.
900 McGraw Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
NEINER, CHARLES C, Pvt.
70 Conger Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
NOBLE, EARL L., Wagoner
Eaton Rapids. Michigan
NORRIS, IVEN P., Wagoner
1330 W. Larch Street,
Lansing, Michigan
O'LEARY, DENNIS F., Wagoner
534 Fairview Avenue,
Detroit. Michigan
PETZEL. OTTO E. F., Wagoner
376 Hunt Street,
Detroit, Michigan
PIESCHKE, WALTER G., Pvt. 1st CI.
1291 Bums Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
POTGETER, DAVID A., Wagoner
Hudsonville, Michigan
POWRIE, ANDREW M., Wagoner
53 Larchmont Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
RUTHENBERG, EDWIN, Wagoner
382 Chestnut Street,
Detroit, Michigan
SCHMIDT. RICHARD, Wagoner
640 Lansing Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
SKOTZKY, GEORGE J., Mec.
435-28th Street.
Detroit. Michigan
SMITH. CLAIR L.. Wagoner
R. F. D.,
Bad Axe. Michigan
STECKER. FRANK J., Wagoner
209 Linden Street,
Detroit, Michigan
STOCK, GLENN F., Pvt. 1st CI.
623 McGraw Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
TOWNSEND, FREDERICK J., Cook
739 H Canton Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
VAN DEN BRINK, ART E., Pvt.
R. F. D. No. 4,
Holland, Michigan
VAN DYK, ALBERT B., Pvt.
232 West 10th Street,
Holland, Michigan
EDMUND VANOAST, Wagoner
1027 East McCarty Street,
Jefferson City, Missouri
VERSTRATE, WILLIAM, Wagoner
Jenison,' Michigan
VEST, ARTHUR R., Wagoner
410 Garfield Avenue,
Lancaster, Ohio
WEBER, HENRY F., Wagoner
Box No. 423,
Syracuse, New York
WILLIAMS, FRED C, Mess Sgt.
1147 Canton Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
WIERSUM, EDWARD G., Wagoner
Grandville, Michigan
ZABOROWSKI, JOSEPH T., Horseshoer
483-28th Street,
Detroit, Michigan
ZAHN. LEO A., Stable Sgt.
301 Warren Street,
Huntington, Indiana
ZALKIEWSKE, WLADYSLAW, Wagoner
Humpty Dumpty Farm,
Royal Oak, Michigan
ZANOSKI, PAUL, Wagoner
1109 Sycamore Street,
Wilmington, Delaware
ZEITLER, HENRY B., Wagoner
272 Milwaukee Avenue,
Kenosha, Wisconsin
MEN TRANSFERRED, WHO HAVE NOT RETURNED TO THE ORGANIZATION
DEUR, DICK, Wagoner
Holland, Michigan
DEMEYERE. GUSTAF, Wagoner
916 Belvidere Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
HUND, EMIL E., Pvt.
Marine City, Michigan
KESSLER, OTTO H., Pvt.
Oxford, Michigan
LaBRENZ, OTTO, Wagoner
Detroit, Michigan
McDonald, Arthur l., Pvt.
Chicago, Illinois
SINGER. LOUIS A., Sgt.
Racine, Wisconsin
SIPKEMA, ALBERT L., Wagoner
Allendale, Michigan
ORDNANCE DETACHMENT
ANDERSON, CHARLES A., Pvt.
411 South Norris Street,
Escanaba, Michigan
CAMPBELL, OLLIE E., Pvt.
227 Fourth Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
CHERRY, VERN D., Pvt.
Weston, Ohio
DANZER, ALAN F., Pvt.
1489-15th Street,
Detroit, Michigan
FLAHERTY, THOMAS, Pvt.
32 East High Street,
Detroit, Michigan
GARDNER, HARRY, Pvt.
912-41st Street,
Wulam, Alabama
McNULTY, WILLIAM J.,
384 Antietam Street,
Detroit, Michigan
Corp.
O'BRIEN, GEORGE P., Ord. Sgt.
256 Melbourne Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
SHARKEY, NORMAN C. Sgt.
1154 Belle River Avenue,
Marine City, Michigan
SIEVERS, HENRY J., Corp.
402 Huron Avenue,
Sheboygan, Wisconsin
MEDICAL DETACHMENT
COPELAND, WILLIAN A.., Captain 429 Hancock Avenue, Vandergrift, Pa.
McAfee, LIVTON C, Captain 400 Washington Avenue, Mason, Ga.
HUMPHREY, JAMES A., First Lieutenant 811 South Pine Street, Lansing, Mich.
BECKER, IGNACE T., Pvt. 1st CI. FLOWER, EDWARD L., Pvt. 1st CL HART, HARRISON G., Pvt. 1st CI.
1701 Field Avenue, St. Johns, Michigan KitzmiUer, Maryland
Detroit, Michigan
CARLANDER, OSWALD R., Sgt. HOOVER. LEWIS H., Pvt. . JOHNSON. GEORGE. Pvt. 1st CI.
1029 E 68th Street 35 W. 9th Avenue, 505 N. Walnut Street,
Seattle, Washington Columbus, Ohio Springfield. Illinois
CATALANO, PAUL, Pvt. 1st CI. HOPPER. LAWRENCE S , Pvt KILBOURN. ESMOND G.. Pvt. 1st CI.
804 S. Ionia Avenue, 67 Willis Avenue. 2818 H N. Saginaw Street.
Grand Rapids, Michigan Detroit, Michigan Flint. Michigan
— 203 —
LOREE, GEORGE R.. Pvt.
245 Goyeau Street,
Windsor, Canada
MATTESON, ROY E., Pvt.
56 Ferris Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
McCUNE, THOMAS B.. Pvt.
1828 East Grand Blvd.,
Detroit, Michigan
NETTING, CLARENCE E., Sgt.
332 Pennsylvania Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
NICOL, WILLIAM, Pvt.
R. F. D. No. 1,
Chelsea, Michigan
POCKLEY, WILLIAM, Pvt.
69 Milwaukee, West,
Detroit, Michigan
ROBERTS, RICHARD, Pvt.
855 Lothrop AenuAe
Detroit, Michigan
RUPP, EDGAR H., Pvt.
629 Meldrum Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
SCHUSTER, ALBERT H., Pvt.
1114 Mt. Elliott Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
SCOTT, FINLEY L., Sgt.
R. F. D. No. 3,
Greenfield, Missouri
SMITH, JOSEPH D., Pvt.
10986-1 25th Street,
Edmonton, Canada
TAYLOR, WILLIAM M., Pvt.
906 Harriet Avenue,
Flint, Michigan
THOM, SAMUEL C, Pvt.
29 Hendrie Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan
TURNER, JOHN H., Pvt.
Care Mrs. Mary Morgel,
Woman's Prison,
Indianapolis, Indiana
VOIGHT, SAM H., Pvt. 1st CI.
319 N. Water Street,
Owosso, Michigan
WETZEL, MILTON F., Sgt. Ist CI.
R. F. D. No. 2,
Rossville, Indiana
CAMP UPTON DETACHMENT
JOHNSON, CARL, First Lieutenant
MACKALL, WILLIAM, First Lieutenant Nokesville, Prince William, Virginia
CHESTON, HAMILTON, First Lieutenant Chestnut Hill, Pa.
WATERMAN, WILLIAM B., Second Lieutenant 416 West School Lane, Germantown, Pa.
ACKERMAN, ISAAC J., Pvt. CRUMLEY, EDWARD N., Pvt. LEONARD, CLARENCE M., Pvt
364-366 E. 10th Street, 506 W. 48th Street, Not known.
New York City, New York New York City, New York LEONARDI, LUIGI, Pvt.
CHAMBERS, ERNEST W., Pvt. 1st CI. FERRARA, JOSEPH, Pvt. 59 Morton Street,
R. F. D. No. 1, 197 School Street, New York City, New York
Copenhagen, New York Brooklyn, N. Y. MARTIN, CYRIL J., 208 State Street,
CIACCIA, NICHOLAS, Pvt. 1st CI. GAUDET, RICHARD A., Pvt. Camden, New Jersey
4332 Elizabeth Street, 5 Maple Park, utitoduv Tiiufirc t r-
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Medford, Massachussete MURPHY, JAMEb J., Corp.
*^ ' ^ „ , «„.„, „ Crimea, Woodlawn, Maryland
COHEN, CHARLES, Pvt. GOLBERG, MICHAEL, Pvt. „„„„„ .„^„^. ^ ^ „
133 bamont Avenue, 237-19th Street, ROCCO, MICHELE E., Pvt.
Brooklyn, New York New York City, New York 1121 Flatbush Avenue,
COLANDERELLO, FELIX, Pvt. HART, HARRISON G., Pvt. 1st CI. Brooklyn, New York
24 Minetta Lane, Kitzmiller, Maryland ROSENBERG, MORRIS, Pvt.
New York City, New York ue-tit incB-DH T3„f 117 S. 8th Street,
HIlTU, JObfc.f M, Pvt. RrnnHvn New VnrV
CONSTANTINO, TINDARO, Pvt. 108 N. Main Street, DrooKiyn, «ew lorK
1030 Martrey Street, Woonsocket, Rhode Island ROYER, RUSSELL B., Pvt.
San Antonio, Texas KFR HENRY Pvt *^' Funston Avenue,
COLLIDGE, GEORGE W., Pvt, 1st CI. 1518 Ridge' AveAue, Newberry, Pennsylvania
R. F. D. No. 1, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania SCHRAM, MAX E., Pvt.
WcUsboro. Pennsylvania KNAPP HENRY H 1st Sgt ^^^ Mystic, Connecticut
COTTAGE, STEPHEN J., 1st CI. Care Clara Kinder, ' STARTUP, MYRON, Bugler
49 Roubwar Street, 117 Crumfort Place, 221 Jersey Avenue,
Shickshinny, Pennsylvania Brooklyn, New York Port Jarvis, New York
COURT, EVERETT A., Corp. KUEBLER, ADOLPH H., Pvt. UGENTE, PAUL, Pvt.
134 S. 3rd Street, 58 Cummings Street, 65 Diamond Street,
Mechanicsville, New York Irvington, New Jersey Brooklyn, New York
^
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THE UNIVERSITY OF CAUFORNIA UBl
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